The Element of Freedom
by jido96
Summary: Kenai [OC] is an airbender and the surrogate nephew of Tenzin. What will happen when he meets the Avatar Korra? Follow the story of the young airbender looking for some truth about his life while he joins Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami. OCxKorra
1. ACQUAINTANCES

**The Element of Freedom**

(Disclaimer: I don't own LOK, only my OC's)

* * *

CHAPTER 1: ACQUAINTANCES

(Air Temple)

"Huuuugh" A young man yawned as he woke up from his sleep. He slowly rubbed his bright brown eyes, trying to get himself to start his day as calmly as possible. "Man, that was a good sleep." He said in a relaxed, unstressed voice. He took a look around his room before getting out of his bed, one of the hardest tasks in his life.

This young man had medium-long brown hair that reached near his always shaved chin and a lightly tanned skin. His body was tall and muscular, with muscles not very big but certainly defined, giving him an athletic build. This 18 year-old young man was Kenai.

Kenai, however, was no normal teen, for he was one of the few airbenders left. Picked from a young age, he was adopted by Tenzin and Pema by request from his fathers. His bending abilities were a complete mystery to him. When he asked Tenzin, he would always say that he was gifted by the spirits when he was a child. For some reason, Kenai had the feeling there was more than that, but never knew how to get more answers from his airbending master and surrogate uncle.

As Kenai walked around, he stopped to look at Zosu, his Raven Eagle pet. Zosu was covered in brown feathers around his adult body, with white feathers from his neck up and red streaks decorating his neck and the sides of his head. His beak was golden yellow and his eyes were black red. Raven Eagles were known for their longevity, and Zosu was big enough for Kenai to actually ride him, much to Uncle Tenzin's dismay. The majestic bird opened his eyes to find out who dared disturb his sleep, just to see his owner looking at him with an amused smile on his face. With an annoyed glare, he turned his head and went back to his peaceful animal dreams.

"Tch, lazy bastard. You are even more of a sleepy-head than me." Kenai said between chuckles, a flashback of his first day in the island passing by in his head.

 _|Flashback 10 years ago...|_

 _Kenai was 8 years old and had just arrived to his new home. Upon hearing he was going to stay in the island for a while, Kenai was a bit sad to leave the place he called home all his life, but the sadness quickly turned into joy when he saw where he was going to stay._

 _"Wow, this place is huge!" Kenai shouted in excitement. "Master Tenzin, how old is this temple?"_

 _"Well, my father built this temple many years ago, when the Hundred Years War finally came to an end thanks to him. This place was built for the future airbending generations that were to come. It's part of his legacy to the world." Tenzin responded, relieved that the boy at least seemed happy for his new home. He could only imagine how Kenai felt, leaving his parents at a young age to live with him and Pemma, both adults he barely knew._

 _"Really? That is so cool! The Avatar Aang must have been awesome, right Master Tenzin?"_

 _Tenzin could only nod in agreement, a small smile inevitably coming out of his mouth. "Yes Kenai. My father was indeed... awesome, as you put it." As soon as he finished his sentence, he noticed how the little kid's facial expression dropped, leaving a sad look on the boy's face. "What's wrong, Kenai? Is there something bothering you?"_

 _The young airbender looked at him, a mix of sadness and disappointment in his eyes. "Master Tenzin... Why my daddy and mommy didn't come with me? I miss them." Kenai asked. The innocence of the question only made it harder for Tenzin to answer._

 _"I know this may be hard for you Kenai. But you have to stay strong. Your parents asked me to train you in the art of airbending while they are on a journey... A very long journey." Seeing that the boy was still a little disappointed, he decided to cheer him up. "Don't worry, young Kenai. If you dedicate yourself to the airbending lessons, I am sure you will make them proud."_

 _Kenai's eyes widened in anticipation. "You promise?"_

 _"Yes, I promise you. In due time, I am certain that you will become a fine airbender."_

 _The 8 year-old airbender looked thoughtful for a minute. Then, a huge smile was matched with a determined look on his eyes. "Alright, then I will be the greatest airbender of all time! I'll have this airbending stuff down in a month, and then I'll be the one teaching you, Master Tenzin!"_

 _"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kenai. Airbending is an ancient art that requires both time and patience. Without either of those, you will never truly master airbending." Tenzin said seriously, though he felt glad that the boy was eager to learn._

 _"Okay, then I'll be the most patient guy ever!" Kenai said, determined to make his parents proud of him. He was sure that if he learned airbending like they wanted, they would come to the Air Temple. Tenzin could only smile in amusement._

 _"That's good to know."_

 _|Flashback ends|_

Wearing a white tank top and orange boxers, the young airbender made his way to the kitchen, feeling a dire need of a huge and tasty breakfast. Not that anyone could blame him, since his rigorous training sessions demanded him to have an appropriate diet. Over the last years, Kenai decided that mastering airbending wasn't enough.

With the rising activity of the Equalist group and the Triads, going around as one of the few airbenders alive wasn't the smartest idea ever, and if the situation ever came that he needed to fight without revealing his bender nature, then learning martial arts were in order.

Before learning any, Kenai thought it would be better to get some fitness. He spent several months working on his stamina, speed and muscle. With a rigorous training program he made for himself, the young airbender started building his body, doing push-ups, sit-ups, jogging, lifting weights, etc. Several months later, the results of his training were rather obvious, a sculptured body being the prime evidence of his intense workout and unbreakable conviction. Strong arms, ripped torso and muscular legs replaced his once average looking teenage body. He also let his bright brown hair grow, ignoring Tenzin's pleads of cutting it.

Having memorized almost every airbending movement, Kenai decided to implement some moves of his own. Being an airbender, he was used to move like such. But his brash and head-on personality made it uncomfortable for him to engage like his uncle Tenzin taught him. With this in mind, he mixed airbending movement with attacks that resembled a firebender or an earthbender. This form of attack suited him a lot more, but he was aware that he shouldn't rely solely on what fit him more. With this in mind, he made sure to avoid neglecting his airbending teachings. After all, he WAS an airbender. The outcome of his self-taught style was his own fighting style based on fast and agile movements mixed with strong punches that resembled earthbending and kicks that resembled firebending. The particular fighting style was still unnamed, but Kenai was working on it. 'An awesome martial art like mine deserves an awesome name, after all.' Kenai thought.

When he was young, he used to wear the standard air nomad attire, but when he reached his teenager years, he decided to stop wearing it and started wearing more casual clothes that suited his personality. He now wore a black pair of boots along with black pants. On his upper body he wore a gray jacket with torn sleeves. He also wore white bandages wrapped around his forearms. Overall, he looked like no other airbender. Tenzin constantly begged him to wear more appropriate clothes, but realized over time that it was useless. The boy simply didn't change his mind, arguing that he may be an airbender, but he was no air nomad. The old councilman couldn't argue that fact, eventually giving up on the discussion.

Kenai was lazily walking towards the kitchen. As he entered the room, he saw Pema cooking his favorite breakfast, consisting on a big glass of milk and slices of bread with scrambled eggs.

He couldn't help but smile. Ever since he lived with the air nomad family, Pema had always looked after him, making sure he was feeling well and taking care of him like a son. It didn't took him long to consider her as family, eventually calling her his aunt.

"Good morning Pemma. How's the most wonderful, sweet, kind and lovable aunt in the world doing?" Kenai asked as he hugged her good morning.

Pemma let out a small giggle. She was used being treated like that by her surrogate nephew, but liked it nevertheless. "I'm fine, thank you. How is my nephew, the most requested young man by the ladies of Republic City doing?" Pemma asked in a teasing way which made Kenai chuckle.

"Oh stop it, you are embarrassing me." Kenai responded waving his hand dismissingly.

Truth be told, Kenai was certainly eye candy to most of the female population in Republic City. Ever since his training took place, he noticed as he accompanied Tenzin to some of his daily chores as one of Republic City's councilman that girls his age were whispering to one another. Small giggles and faint blushes were heard and seen by the young airbender. At first he was slightly confused so he looked for advice from Pemma herself, who apparently knew about this kind of stuff. Of course, she enlighten him and explained that it was completely natural for girls to feel attracted by handsome boys such as him. She then taught him how to behave around girls. Soon enough, the confused glares were changed into charming smiles and occasional winks, which in turn made the females blushes and nervous laughs increase considerably. Tenzin noticed this and made Kenai promise to not get distracted or act irresponsible. Even though Kenai was amused by their reactions, he was never the playboy type of guy and never wanted to be one, for it was a 'completely ungentlemanly behavior' as Pema pointed out.

As he took a seat he began to eat every single slice of bread Pema made for him. She was always amused by Kenai's appetite. "Are you ready for the big day Kenai?"

"Huh, what big day?"

"Don't you remember? We are going to the Southern Water Tribe to visit the Avatar and Katara."

"Really? I didn't know it was today. I thought it was going to be next week." Kenai said as he reached over his glass of milk.

"Looks like time flies when you spend your days training like a maniac and riding a giant Raven Eagle Spirits know where." Pema said humorously. Kenai joined her in her laughter.

"What can I say? Working out is a great activity and Sozu needs to go outside and stretch his wings. Besides, flying on an oversized bird should be something in everyone's 'to-do' list. Its way cooler than riding Oogi, that's for sure."

"Excuse me." said a voice from behind the couple. It was Tenzin, who was already dressed and ready to go to Republic City. "Do I need to remind you that Air Bisons are one of the most important symbols of airbending culture and history?" Tenzin asked with a raised eyebrow. One thing he did not appreciate from Kenai was having him say such things. It worried him and made him think that the young airbender didn't took his airbending teachings seriously.

"Good morning to you, uncle Tenzin." Kenai greeted him with amusement. Sometimes uncle Tenzin just could be a little exaggerated for his taste. Tenzin just sighed and approached his wife.

"Good morning Pema." He said as he kissed Pema's cheek.

"Morning Tenzin." Pema replied with a smile.

After moving back from his wife, the old airbender watched his 'nephew's' current... sleeping attire. It was quite baffling, almost insulting what he was wearing. 'By the Spirits, he is almost completely naked. How can he feel so little shame?' Tenzin thought frowning. "Kenai, I understand that you may not be very fond of this temple's traditions, but do you really need to have breakfast in such... revealing clothes?"

Kenai laughed rather sheepishly. "Sorry uncle Tenzin. But it's really not that bad once you get used to it. You should really give it a try. Who knows? You might like it." He said while smiling all the way. 'Yeah right. The day I convince him to walk around the temple like that is the day he will become a die-hard Probending fan.'

"I think I rather keep my dignity, thank you very much." Tenzin answered, feeling almost scandalized by the proposal. "Pemma, have you seen the children?"

"Mmh, let's see. Ikki was feeding Oogi along with Jinora about an hour ago. I think Jinora is in the library right now. As for Meelo, it seems he's still sleeping. Doesn't it remind you of a certain someone, Kenai?" Pemma asked the young airbender, who in return simply winked at her. He was used to being teased by his aunt for his astonishing sleeping prowess.

"By the way, at what time are we leaving for the South Pole, uncle Tenzin?" Kenai asked.

"I believe we should part as soon as I finish my chores at Republic City. (Sigh) Only the Spirits know how much work I have today." Tenzin responded.

"You want me to help you with that?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary my boy, but thank you anyways. Now why don't you get dressed and meditate outside? It has been a while since I saw you attending your spiritual side of your airbending."

'There we go again.' "Sure, I guess you're right."

"Good." Tenzin said as he turned his back. Before he left the room, he was stopped by the voice of Kenai.

"Hey Tenzin, have you received any letters from... well, you know."

Tenzin sighed. "I am afraid I haven't received any recent letters from your parents Kenai. If you want, I can send them one."

"Yeah, that... that would be nice."

* * *

(On the way to the South Pole)

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Jinora?"

"Why does Kenai always flies with Sozu instead of Oogi?" Jinora asked while pointing at Kenai who was flying a few meters behind them. They were in the middle of the journey to the South Pole to visit the children's grandmother, Katara. Before they leaved their home, Kenai said that he would travel with them, but that he was going to ride Sozu, his Raven Eagle companion.

For some reason, ever since Kenai met Sozu they shared a special bond. He founded it when he was 12 years old while exploring the forest nearby the temple. Sozu had hatched a few days ago, abandoned by his mother. Kenai found him trying to eat bugs from the ground. He felt sad for the poor animal and decided to adopt it. Tenzin was hesitant at first, thinking that a pet would only distract him from his airbending lessons. But seeing how Kenai was so happy with his new companion, he let it slip. As time went by, Tenzin discovered that the young airbender's teachings sank faster than usual and that he was in a happier mood than before. When Tenzin asked his student, he just shrugged and said that he was excited because of Sozu keeping him company. The old airbender was not completely convinced, feeling that there was more than just that.

"Well Jinora, you know Kenai has always been very close to Sozu. He doesn't like keeping him locked in the temple and for what I can tell, Sozu enjoys long distance travels. Though if you ask me, I think that it is most reckless of him to travel with Sozu the way he does. Always going fast and barely slowing down. Most reckless indeed." Tenzin answered to his oldest daughter, who nodded in response.

"You know, I read in the library that Raven Eagles are supposed to be solitary and rarely seek the company of others. But Sozu isn't like that with us, at least with Kenai. How come Sozu likes him?" Jinora asked with her characteristic curiosity.

Before Tenzin could answer, a little bun-haired girl interrupted the conversation.

"Because Kenai has always been nice to Sozu and feeds him and patted his head and and and also he gives him lots and lots of attention! Isn't that right daddy? Is it? Is it? And how old is Sozu? And how much can he fly? Why is he so big? How much can he eat?" Ikki asked his father, who could only frown and sigh at her daughter's antics. He may be an airbender, but even airbenders as experimented as him could run out of patience.

"You see, Raven Eagles are supposed to-"

"Daddy, can I fly with Sozu like Kenai?" Meelo asked, again interrupting the conversation. The little airbender looked up at Kenai ever since he was born. To him, Kenai was like the most awesome guy ever.

"What? Absolutely not! For Kenai to be riding Sozu is dangerous enough. Besides, the last time you tried to get close to Sozu, he almost turned you into his dinner, remember?" Tenzin said immediately. The thought of Meelo trying to ride Sozu was unnerving, to say the very least.

"Awww, no fair! Why does Kenai gets to do cool stuff?" Meelo pouted.

A few meters behind the air nomad family, Kenai was doing one of his favorites things in the world: flying. Ever since he managed to ride his Raven Eagle, Kenai found himself something that he had been lacking in the island since he got there, the sensation of true freedom. When he was flying, all of his worries disappeared. The adrenaline that came from flying fast and the violent pounding inside his chest was such a powerful feeling it was intoxicating. He would return to the island happy and unstressed.

"Everything good down there buddy?" Kenai asked his majestic bird, who gave him an eagle-like squeal in response. It was quite interesting, really. Over the years, the young man and his feathered companion understood each other so well, it was almost as if they used a special language between them. They couldn't understand each other's words, but they could understand each other's feelings. It was also like a tough-love kind of relationship. Sozu might look grumpy and uncaring at times, but in reality, he cared a big deal over his master. The same thing went for Kenai.

Kenai had to admit, he was pretty excited about meeting both Katara and the Avatar. From what Pemma had told him, Tenzin had a soft spot for his mother, hence the nickname 'Mama's boy'. The first time Kenai heard about his master's nickname, the young man nearly passed out because of the laughter. Apparently, Katara was the greatest waterbender of her time. Married to Avatar Aang they had 3 children: Tenzin, Bumi and Kya. Other than that, he didn't really know more about her.

Now, about the Avatar. Because Tenzin was the only airbender alive (except for his children and Kenai himself, of course), it was obvious that at some point they would meet each other to start the airbending lessons. Therefore, Kenai would also learn more about him/her. There was no way he would pass the opportunity to learn about the reincarnation of Tenzin's dad. Unfortunately, there was nothing more Kenai knew about the 'Avatar in training'.

Deciding to leave his thoughts for later, Kenai softly kicked Sozu with the back of his feet.

"Come on boy, let's see how fast can you go!"

* * *

To say that Korra was excited was an understatement. Katara agreed that she was ready to start her airbending lessons, and so Tenzin and his family were on their way to meet her. 'I'm finally going to learn airbending! About time!' she thought while practically leaping in joy. Ever since the White Lotus discovered her, she was taken away from her home to start her Avatar training. What they didn't tell her was that she was to be isolated from the rest of the world in order to be in a 'peaceful environment, far from any possible distractions', or so did the White Lotus elders stated. True or not, the fact that she was stuck there, almost in captivity, was something she never liked. She was seventeen years-old for crying out loud! She didn't want to be kept and being constantly watched over like a baby.

But now, everything was going to be different.

(South Pole)

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Ikki asked out of control.

"Yes Ikki, as I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, we are finally here." Tenzin said after what seemed to be his sigh number 34 of the day. Not that anyone could blame him. It had been a long ride from the Air Temple to the Southern Water Tribe. Tenzin was constantly worried for Pema and her pregnancy. At first he didn't want her to travel with them, but after a very short one-sided argument between him and his wife, he agreed. After all, it didn't hurt to have her there to calm Ikki and Meelo.

He realized that Kenai was a little further away from them. Tenzin frowned. 'Kenai, is this really the time?', he asked himself.

A soon as they landed, the two little girls jumped out of Oogi, created small air spheres and started running from one place to another, completely out of control. Katara held back her laughter and approached her son.

"Hello mother, I can't tell you how good it is to see you." Tenzin said while his son and daughters attached themselves on his body. Meelo placed himself on his shoulders and started pulling his father's ears back and forth. "Please mother... help me." Tenzin whispered to his beloved mother. Katara simply laughed again and reached for the boy on his son's shoulders.

Meelo didn't like that. Not one bit.

"Unhand me, strange woman!" he demanded with imagined authority. At this, Tenzin sighed... again. 'And that makes it 35.'

"Meelo, that's your grandmother, don't say such things." Tenzin said. At this, the boy freed himself from Katara's grip and proceeded to run around in circles before returning to his father.

The old waterbender turned her attention to the young girls near her. Both of them were smiling in joy, one full of curiosity that needed to be quench and the other full of excitement. Needless to say, it was Jinora and Ikki respectively. Katara smiled and at the two. "It is so good to see all of you again. You both have grown quite a lot."

Jinora bowed respectfully, being the well-behaved and sweet little girl that she was. "Gran-Gran, I've been reading all about your adventures. I've been dying to ask you, what happened to Zuko's mother?" Jinora asked innocently.

"Well Jinora, it's an incredible tale-"

"Gran-Gran, you look old. How old are you? Why is it so cold in the South Pole? Can we make a campfire and all huddle around it and tell scary stories and make snowmen? And then can you make the snowmen move with waterbending and chase us? Wouldn't that be fun? Huh, wouldn't it?" Ikki interrupted out of nowhere. Tenzin had warned her mother, but she still didn't expect her grandchildren to be so... active... as her son told her she was. Still, she managed to hide her sweatdrop and smiled nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Tenzin was helping his pregnant wife to get off Oogi. When it came to his family, he was very overprotective. "Here, let me help you Pema." he said while reaching her arm.

"Stop dotting on me, Tenzin. I am pregnant, not helpless." Pema said while rubbing her stomach. She thought it was sweet that her husband was constantly concerned about her health, but at times he could act so worried it was almost bothering. She then went over Katara and hugged her. Katara returned the embrace and laid a hand on Pema's unborn child.

"The baby is strong." she said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I sense another airbender coming."

Pemma looked baffled at the statement and immediately backed off. "No, no, no! All I want is one child like me. Someone who didn't airbended in my face every five minutes."

Almost as it was meant to be, Meelo cried her mother for attention. He was covered in snow.

"Mommy, look! I'm a snowbender!" Meelo shouted as he airbended the snow around him, blasting it at every direction. Destiny seemed to make Pema his favorite toy, for a splash of snow landed right on her face. Seeing this, Tenzin slowly retreated. He had no intention of facing her loving wife's anger.

Katara then remembered something. "Tenzin, where is this young man you talked me about? I don't see him anywhere near."

"Ahh, yes. Young Kenai said he preferred to travel with Sozu, his Raven Eagle companion. He thought that riding in Oogi was not as 'cool' as riding Sozu." Tenzin said while he hand-gestured the word cool. This attracted Katara's attention.

"A Raven Eagle? I haven't seen one in a long time. But aren't they a little too small?"

"Normally I would say the same, mother. But Sozu is a unique specimen among his peers. For some reason, this particular Raven Eagle that Kenai founded years ago in the Air Temple has grown a lot. Definitely a lot more than a normal Raven Eagle. His size is so big that he allows Kenai to ride him. He should be here at any moment."

Tenzin responded. His answer surprised Katara, which was no small feat. She had lived a long life and had seen a lot of things, so for something to actually impress her it had to be something remarkable.

"Is that true?" Katara asked both Pemma and his son. Pemma couldn't help but giggle a bit, the both of them nodding.

As Tenzin turned away, he saw a young girl near him. She was wearing typical water tribe clothes. Her skin color was mocka-brown and had bright blue eyes. She had her long hair in a ponytail and had a big smile on her face as she jogged her way to him. He instantly recognized her.

"Korra?" Tenzin asked. "Look at you, so big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar."

Korra bowed to him, happy to finally meet her airbending teacher. "I am honored to meet you, master Tenzin." she said respectfully. For so long, all she wanted was to learn airbending, and that time was now. The moment itself was almost too good to be true.

Tenzin bowed back. "The honor is all mine, Avatar Korra. Allow me to introduce you to my wife Pema." The airbending master said pointing at his wife. "These are Jinora, Ikki and Meelo, my daughters and son." He said, now pointing at his children. "My nephew is missing at the moment, but he should be arriving-

Before he could finish the sentence, an eagle-like squeal was heard in the sky. Everybody looked up and saw a giant Raven Eagle flying near them with what appeared to be a man on its back. The unusually big bird was now starting to swiftly descend from the sky.

Both Katara and Korra were looking in awe at the scene. The White Lotus guards also noticed this and started to approach the beast in order to protect the Avatar if said animal proved to be hostile. Korra stepped back and went into a fighting stance, but when she saw the strangely calm face of Pema and Tenzin and heard the shouts of excitement from their children, she felt immediately confused. Katara also seemed surprised, but made no effort to move back or prepare herself. 'Hummm, am I the only one who thinks that a giant Raven Eagle landing right in front of us is a little weird?' the Avatar thought. If anything, Tenzin even looked slightly annoyed by the whole thing.

-any time soon." Tenzin said, finishing his once interrupted answer.

When the Raven Eagle finally landed, a stranger jumped out of his back. He was wearing black boots and pants with a grey winter coat on his upper body. His hood was on and had a white scarf covering half of his face from the middle of his nose down. He also wore black leather gloves. The stranger then suddenly took of his hood and his scarf, revealing his face to all the spectators.

"Okay Sozu, we're here. Now stay put, alright?" the young man asked his companion, who merely sat down and closed his eyes in response. "Datt'a boy." he said with a grin. He then faced Tenzin, the smirk still on his face. "Hey uncle, sorry for the delay. Sozu and I wanted to check the place out."

Tenzin just nodded. "It's fine, Kenai. We arrived here not long ago, actually."

"Really? That's good to know." Kenai said. He then made his way to the elderly woman, whom he supposed she was Tenzin's mother.

The son of Aang decided to introduce his nephew. "Mother, this is my 'nephew' Kenai. Kenai, this is my mother Katara."

Kenai just grinned at the woman, pretending to be surprised. "Are you really Tenzin's mother?"

"Why yes I am, young man. May I know why are you so surprised?" Katara asked with curiosity.

"I'm sorry, I just thought you were the Avatar's mother. You don't look older than forty to me. I apologize for my mistake." Kenai said as he bowed. Tenzin slapped his face in frustration. 'Always the charmer.' he thought. On the other hand, Pema smiled in amusement. 'I taught him well.' she thought.

"Enough with the flattery, Kenai. I already get enough of that here." Katara said, though it was clear she was amused with the antics of the young man.

"I have no doubt you do, Ms. Katara." Kenai retorted with a wink that earned him a warm smile from the aged waterbender and a glare from his uncle. After his charismatic introduction with Katara, he looked at the Avatar. He was surprised by the girl in front of him. She was barely smaller than him, with a curvy and toned body from the looks of it. Her physical appearance resembled one of a typical water tribe female, with her dark hair, brownish skin and intense blue eyes. 'Now that's what I call attractive.' Kenai said to himself.

"Hey, you're Korra right?" Kenai asked the girl who was staring at him.

"Huh? Oh yeah that's me." Korra managed to say while trying to hide the fact that she was flustered. She was amazed by that guy's looks. Bright brown hair combined with brown eyes and a slightly tanned skin. Judging by his height and the size of his arms, she deducted he had strong and toned muscled behind his clothes. 'Holly Spirits, he's hot. Wait, did I really just thought that?' Korra asked herself, a slight blush coming out of her cheeks.

Kenai, who knew EXACTLY what her thoughts were, decided to take it easy with the girl. "Nice to meet you, Korra. My name is Kenai." the young airbender said as he extended his hand, a friendly and relaxed smile on his face.

Korra took his hand and shook it, relieved by the fact that she was able to hide what was inside her head. "Nice to meet you too. You're Tenzin's nephew, right?" she said, allowing herself to smile a little. The guy seemed pretty cool and friendly, making her feel a little easier in his presence. She also noticed that he didn't call her 'Avatar Korra' or any other honorific title she was used to hear. That was another thing that pleased her, like he was treating her as a completely normal person instead of the celebrity she supposedly was. It felt like a breeze of new air to her.

"Yeah, Tenzin's my uncle alright. Don't let his looks deceive you, though. He may look grumpy at first, but he's pretty cool once you get to know him. Right uncle?"

Kenai said now looking at Tenzin. Tenzin, not feeling like engaging in such a childish argument about him being 'cool', decided to nod at the question. "If you say so Kenai. If you say so." He loved the boy, but why did he had to be so good at getting in his nerves? Looking at the reaction of his clearly annoyed airbending teacher, Korra giggled a bit.

"Anyways." Kenai said now returning to Korra. "Now that you'll start your airbending training, I hope I see you around. If you don't mind, of course."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind at all." Korra responded happily. She was eager to learn airbending, as well as getting to know her new friend.

Tenzin, however, didn't look so thrilled. "Yes, well... about that..." he started to say, unsure of how to continue.

"Tenzin, you have to tell her eventually." Pema said to her husband.

"Tell me what?" the young Avatar asked in confusion. Katara looked at her son and his wife and realized what was going on.

"You are not staying, are you?" Katara asked sadly.

The airbender sighed before answering. "I'm afraid not, mother. We are here just to stay the night. Then I have to return to Republic City."

His answer took both Korra and Kenai by surprise. Kenai was disappointed, but Korra was even more. "Wait, but... No, you're supposed to move here. You're supposed to teach me." she said in both disbelief and sadness. For some reason, the young airbender didn't like seeing her down like that and decided to back her up.

"You know uncle, if we were only going to stay the night you could have at least told her beforehand."

"I'm sorry, Korra. Your airbending training is going to have to wait." Tenzin said ignoring the comment of his nephew, even if he agreed with him.

(Inside the White Lotus compound)

Korra, Tenzin, Kenai and a couple of the White Lotus members were in the dining hall. The sheer awkwardness of the situation was almost palpable. Nobody felt like making small conversation. After finishing the meal, Korra spoke up her doubts.

"So how long until you can teach me airbending? A week? A month?"

"It could be much longer, I'm afraid." Tenzin responded. He didn't like seeing her so frustrated, but it had to be done.

"I just don't get it. Why are you making me wait?"

"I have a responsibility to Republic City as one of its leaders. The situation there is... very unstable right now."

"Maybe, but you also have a responsibility to teach me. Believe me, I'd be happy to find another airbending master but you're the only one. We're stuck with each other."

"I wish there was another way."

Kenai was hearing everything in silence. Then, realization struck him in the face. "Wait, if you can't stay here, how about we bring Korra over to the Air Temple? I could watch her over while you attend your meetings at Republic City." he said trying to support Korra. When he found out that the White Lotus had kept her locked up almost her entire life, he felt genuinely angry at them. 'They treat her like she's some kind of animal of an extinct species or something. Nobody should live like that.' Kenai said to himself.

"Hey, you're right! I can stay with the kids and Pema at the Air Temple and visit Republic City with Kenai, It's perfect!" Korra perked up at the words of Kenai. She didn't expect him to agree with her regarding her airbending training, but felt happy that someone supported her.

"Absolutely not!" an old White Lotus member interrupted with near indignation at the proposal. "It's far too dangerous for you to go around Republic City as it is."

"That wouldn't be a problem. I know Republic City fairly well so I could show her the not-so-dangerous areas around, and from what I've heard, Korra seems capable enough to take care of herself if any trouble came to her." Kenai retorted.

"Hmpf, you are clearly too naive and immature for a task such as protecting her, boy. Avatar Aang tasked us with keeping the next Avatar safe from any danger in order to fulfill it's destiny. She will stay here and master the four elements as it is meant to be."

Tenzin immediately bit his lower lip. 'Oh Spirits, this is not good.' Kenai was usually a respectful, educated and friendly young man most of the time. Sure, he could be a little arrogant in occasions, but that wasn't really a problem. Yet if there was one thing he didn't respond well to were insults. He could care less about who he was talking to, if someone bad-mouthed him, he would get right in their faces and get as nasty as needed. The White Lotus members were certainly not an exception.

Kenai's facial expressions changed from calm to pissed off in a matter of seconds. "Hey, who are you calling naive and immature, old man?" he snapped.

The White Lotus member couldn't believe what he just heard. "How... how dare you?!"

"Believe me old man, I dare. I'm not taking any insults from a hypocrite like you."

"Alright, that's quite enough of you two. I'm sorry Korra, but I can't take you with me right now. When the time is right, I will introduce you to the ways of airbending. For the time being, you should stay here and try to improve your bending skills in the other elements." Tenzin said before things heated up more between his nephew and the White Lotus. He had enough stress for the day.

"Whatever." Korra said as she stood up and leaved the table to go to her room, leaving the dinning hall again in complete silence.

"Anyways, I'm tired. I'll go get some shut-eye. Good night uncle." Kenai said.

"Good night Kenai." Tenzin replied with a small nod, glad that the situation didn't escalated.

Korra was currently in her room, not feeling happy at all. She had been waiting to learn airbending and leave the South Pole for so long, and when the opportunity finally presents itself, all she got was a spit in her face. She was even wondering if the whole thing was a fiasco, some sort of mean joke from the White Lotus just for the sole purpose of messing with her. Heck, if it wasn't for Katara, whom she trusted her with her life and was the one who agreed she should start her airbending lessons, she would suspect of the White Lotus actually being behind all of this.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a knock on her door.

"Can I come in?" the voice behind the door said.

Expecting to be one of the White Lotus members bringing her some dessert, she opened the door ready to grab whatever they had for her. She would shut her door as soon as possible anyways, not feeling like talking right now with anybody.

What she was not expecting, however, was the guy behind the door.

"Kenai? What are you doing here?" Korra asked.

"Just wanted to check on how you're doing." Kenai answered simply. Still not used to the cold South Pole weather, he was still wearing his grey jacket.

"Oh. Thanks, but I'm okay, really." Korra said in a not so convincing way.

"Yeah right. That face of yours tells me otherwise. Mind if I enter?"

Korra stepped aside, letting out a sigh. The young airbender entered her room, looking at the mess in front of him. Clothes were on the floor along with scrolls and other things like that. Kenai let out a small chuckle. "Wow, real tidy room. Reminds me of mine back home." he said, earning him a small laugh from Korra despite her obvious sadness. His attempt to make her feel a little better succeeded.

"So, why are you really here?" the Avatar questioned.

"I told you, I'm just checking up on you." Kenai answered.

"Really? You are not here to try to convince me that Tenzin is right and that I'm better of here?" she asked again in disbelief. Every time she and the White Lotus had an argument, they would come to her room and tell her how everything they were doing was for her own safety. And she had about enough of that.

"Hey, I had your back there in the dinning hall, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Korra said while laughing sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

Kenai then sat on Korra's bed, patting his left side as a way of telling her to join him, which she obliged.

"What's on your mind?" Kenai started.

The young Avatar sighed. "It's just not fair. I've been waiting my whole life for this, and now I'm stuck again." Korra said as she stared at Kenai's brown eyes. He listened to every word she said while thinking what could cheer her up. He hated seeing her so down like that. "Hey Kenai, can I ask you something?" the water tribe girl asked, stopping Kenai's thoughts for the time being.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Why did you side with me back there?" Korra asked. When Kenai's right eyebrow went up, she decided to elaborate. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you did, but I... didn't really expect it. You know, you being Tenzin's nephew and all."

Hearing her explanation, the young man grinned at her. "Well, I do have a couple of reasons. Three to be exact. Number one, keeping somebody locked up like that is not only cruel, but also wrong. Even if you are the Avatar, you are also a person. Number two, these White Lotus members may not have realized this, but they're actually making it harder for you to be the Avatar by keeping you confined like this. How are you supposed to help maintain balance in the world if you have no idea how the world is? By trying to protect you so much they ended up hindering you, so to speak. That's why I called that White Lotus old fart a hypocrite. That and because he called me an immature and naive boy."

Korra pondered over what she just heard. She had never seen things that way. She wanted to explore and get out of the South Pole, that was for sure, but what Kenai just said to her made her realize how right he actually was. She specially recalled one thing he stated. 'How am I supposed to help maintain balance in the world if I have no idea how the world is?'. It really was an eye opener. Not to mention, the face master Noribu (A/N: 1) had when Kenai called him an old hypocrite was enough for her to feel genuine joy. Master Noribu had always been strict with her regarding her training and keeping her secluded from anybody else, including her own family.

"Wow, I never really thought about it like that. What about reason number three?"

Kenai let out a small chuckle. "Well, number three would be that you seem like a pretty cool girl to hang around. I like the idea of having you in the Air Temple."

The Avatar blushed at the compliment. She didn't expect him to say that out of nowhere, especially the very same day they just met. But she didn't really care either as she was very pleased by what she heard. After a few giggles, she turned around to meet his eyes. "Thanks. You look like a nice guy yourself."

"Ouch, I come here to make you feel better and all I get is a 'you look like a nice guy yourself'?" Kenai asked in a mocking way, pretending to be hurt.

Noticing that he was teasing her, she smirked. "Yup. That's all you're getting from me."

"Damn. I was expecting you to at least say something like 'Wow Kenai, you are the most awesome guy I have ever seen' or something."

"Aren't you being just a tad bit cocky?"

"Cocky? Me? Not at all. I'm just pointing out a fact." Kenai responded before both of them started laughing at their own joke.

The young water tribe girl was fairly surprised with Tenzin's nephew. Before he entered her room she was sad and in no mood to talk with anybody, but after a few minutes with him she started to feel better about the whole thing. She was still upset about not being able to start her airbending training and all, but at least she now had someone to talk about it.

"You know, I could go here and visit you from time to time. I don't think any of these White Lotus guys keep you company like this, am I right?" Kenai asked.

"Really? I'd love that! But, I'm not sure the sentries would like the idea of you 'disturbing my Avatar training' and all. Especially after your little scene with master Noribu back there." Korra responded with a frown on her face. She knew that those old geezers would do anything in their power to prevent Kenai from visiting her. They wouldn't allow her own family to come see her, so why would they let him?

"Don't worry. If anyone has a problem with me coming here, I'll have them introduce to Sozu, see if they change their minds." the young airbender responded with a grin.

"Sozu? Who's that?" Korra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sozu is my Raven Eagle companion. You know, that awesome big bird I came here with."

"Oh, that's right! Now that I think of it, where did you find a Raven Eagle so big? I have never seen one like that."

"Sorry, I'll tell you next time."

"Oh come on! Why next time?" Korra pouted in a childish way, earning her a laugh from her friend.

"So I can have an excuse to tell Tenzin to go visit you, of course."

Korra pouted again. That Sozu pet seemed so cool, she was wondering if Kenai would let her meet his Raven Eagle. Kenai seemed to be very fond of him. She shrugged and deduced it was the same kind of human-mascot type of relationship she had with Naga, her Polar Beard Dog.

Kenai yawned. "Well, I'm going to sleep. See you in the morning?" he asked.

The young Avatar smiled. "Sure, good night."

"Good night Korra." Kenai said as he started to leave her room. When he opened the door, however, he was stopped by the voice of the girl behind him.

"Kenai?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the talk. I actually feel a little better now." she said truthfully. After having him come to her room to check up on her when he didn't had to, she thought she should at least thank him for his kindness.

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do." Kenai replied with a wink as he closed the door, leaving a young Avatar with a slight pink blush on her cheeks, thanking the Spirits Kenai wasn't there to see her flustered like that.

* * *

|Next day|

The next morning the airbending family was up and ready to go. Tenzin and Pema were gathering their children, who were sad to leave the place. Both Ikki and Jinora were already sitting on Oogi with their mother, waiting for Tenzin to stop Meelo from trying to sit on Sozu's saddle. On the other hand, Kenai was looking for Korra to say goodbye to her and remind her that he would visit her when he had the time. Unfortunately, he couldn't find her anywhere, which was not really his fault considering the South Pole was huge and he didn't quite know his way around yet. Seeing that he was unable to reach her, he walked towards master Katara, who was waving her son's family goodbye, a sad expression on her face and a few tears running down her eyes.

"Master Katara?" Kenai slowly said, trying to avoid any possible awkward moment between them.

Katara sniffled a bit before turning her head. "Yes dear?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you could tell Korra I said goodbye to her. I can't find her and I have to go now. Just let her know I promise to visit her whenever I can." he said before looking down.

Aang's wife sighed before looking at Kenai, a sad smile placed on her mouth. "Sure, I'll let her know. That girl needs more people like you in her life. I don't think this is what my husband wanted for her."

"I agree. Living in the same place secluded from the world outside because of a destiny she didn't choose is not living at all." Kenai said as he walked away from her. He then putted on his gloves and placed his hood up. Sozu approached him and kneeled so he could ride him, not feeling very comfortable with all the snow of the place.

"All right Sozu, let's go." the young man said to his Raven Eagle, who started flying after a single jump. It wasn't long before the two of them were a small dot in the sky.

Katara sighed. "He is just like his mother." she whispered.

|Air Temple|

Kenai, after having breakfast and doing his exhausting morning workout, took a shower and searched for Pema. His exercise routine consisted in push-ups, sit-ups, speed training using weights, airbending exercises and continuous spars with imaginary opponents performing moves he created in his unique, yet to be named fighting style, among other activities. This particular workout allowed him to hardness his body as well as his airbending. Instead of relying on defense, he used his airbending in a lot more offensive way, incorporing kicks and punches of all kind.

"Hey, aunt Pema." Kenai greeted her as he made his way to the gardens.

"Yes sweetie?"

"I'm going to Republic City for a while. I have to buy more food for Sozu."

Pema looked at him with curiosity. "Didn't you buy him enough food for a month the last time you went?"

"Yeah, but apparently somebody left Sozu's bag of food open. Any ideas who might've been?" he asked with humor. It was more than obvious who was the author of the crime.

His aunt giggled. "Meelo just wants to fly with him for once. The other day I saw him wearing feathers all over his body. He said he wanted to fool Sozu by making him believe he was a baby Raven Eagle."

The airbender sighed. "That boy is gonna get himself eaten one of these days. Anyways, I'm taking off. See ya' later auntie."

"Fly safe!"

|Republic City|

Kenai was walking near the shopping district he normally went for Sozu's food. He was wearing his typical outfit, a pair of black boots with black pants along with his favorite grey jacket that had its sleeves torn, revealing his defined arms at sight, much to the pleasure of every girl that saw him. He was also wearing bandages in his wrists. Overall, he looked like a firebender except for the color of his hair, eyes and skin.

As he made his way to the shop, he noticed a satomobile parking near a store that sold phonographs and things like that. Three men walked out of the vehicle and Kenai recognized them instantly.

Triple Threats members.

The young man growled. Ever since the Triads gangs became a problem in Republic City, dealing with them was one of the things he wanted the most. Of course, his training demanded him to stay put in the island and Tenzin absolutely disapproved the idea of Kenai involving himself with them. He knew the boy for ten years now and was certain that he would jump at the chance of confronting them, which could easily involve the complete and utter destruction of an entire block if Kenai was angry.

That was another thing that Tenzin, to this very day, couldn't understand. Kenai was a very talented airbending master... in his own way. His mentality as an airbender was almost the exact opposite of what it should be. It was a mix between a firebender and an earthbender, trying to make his way right into the obstacle rather than surrounding it. Meditation had been a pain on Kenai's lower back during his first years as an airbender. He eventually managed to calm himself and stay still, but not before hours and hours of relentless practice.

Back to the present, Kenai made a decision. He had tried hard to ignore them and let the police officers take care of the problem, but they were not here. Before he could draw the attention of the gang members threatening the shopkeeper, a voice was heard from the other side of the street.

"Or else what, hoodlum?"

On the other side of the street, a young girl wearing blue traditional water tribe clothes was standing near them, hands on her hips and smirking confidently at the Triple Threats.

'Oh Korra.' Kenai thought while smiling.

The three stooges stared at her in confusion before laughing at her annoyingly loud. When the laughter died down, the guy that looked like the leader of the other two spoke up. "Look girly, since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain to you a couple of things. You're in Triple Thread Triad territory and we're about to put you in the hospital." he said with a condescending voice.

Korra had an amused expression on her face. "You're the only ones who will need a hospital. And for your sake, I hope there's one nearby." she replied crackling her knuckles.

The leader's face quickly changed. "Who the hell you think you are!?" He was not going to let that little girl disrespect him like that!

"Why don't you find out?"

That was it.

The gang leader brought some water hidden out of his coat and threw it at her with the use of his waterbending. Korra immediately stopped the attack once it was at arm's length. Before her enemy could react, Korra threw the water back at him, splashing his face and turning the water into ice. The man lost his balance and started tripping over, just to receive a kick in the head by the same girl. The kick sent him falling head first into their own satomobile, smashing his head right into the front part of the vehicle. The blow was so hard the ice that was still covering his head was shattered, leaving him knocked out.

The other two thugs were astonished by how easily that girl defeated their boss. But before they could react, another figure took the spot. In a grey and black flash, the earthbender of the squad received a punch to his guts followed by a spinning kick to the jaw that threw him to the ground. When he tried to get up, a fast punch to his forehead left him out cold.

Korra was too busy handling the firebender, a skinny and pale looking guy who was craping his pants at the moment, to notice the stranger that fought the other guy.

After neutralizing him with little to no effort (and smashing several stores in the process), she turned her back around to face the last guy of the gang. To her surprise, the big guy was lying unconscious on the ground. A boy was standing near him, and she deduced he was the one who took down the earthbender.

"Hey, thanks for the help with that. Not that I needed it, but still." Korra said.

"And you said I was the cocky one, Korra." the guy said, still not turning his back around.

'Why do I find that voice familiar?' Korra thought. However, she was too distracted to remember. "Huuuh, do I know you or something?" she asked with a frown.

Only then the stranger turned his back. "I don't know, do you?"

The Avatar gasped. "Kenai! W-What are you doing here?"

Kenai smirked. "I think I could ask you the same thing. Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything, but aren't you supposed to be in the South Pole?"

Before she could reply, a metalbending squad came to the scene.

"Cool, metalbenders!" the native girl from the Southern Water Tribe said. It was her first time in the 'big city' and she had seen so much. She was somewhat disappointed with the place, however. Republic City was a lot less impressive than what she had originally expected. _"I have a responsibility to Republic City as one of its leaders. The situation there is... very unstable right now."_ Tenzin's words echoed inside her head.

'I guess this is what Tenzin was talking about.' "Don't worry officers, we caught the bad guys for you."

"Getting here a little earlier would've been nice." Kenai muttered. "Still, we stopped the thugs blackmailing the shop's owner. That's the most important thing right now." Korra nodded in agreement.

"Arrest them." the metalbending leader ordered to his squad. Without much delay, three metalbenders shot their cables and captured the gang members. Two of them were way too injured to put up a fight and the other one was still knocked out. When the criminals were dealt with, the same officer pointed at Kenai and Korra. "Arrest them too."

"What!?" both of them shouted. "But why? We just stopped the bad guys for you! They were smashing up an old man's shop!" Korra shouted in her defense.

"From the looks of it you smashed a lot more than that." the officer said while pointing at the street. A few other stores were smashed apart, product of Korra's less than subtle way of dealing with the gang members. "Plus, it's illegal to apply justice with your own hands."

"Maybe so, but that wouldn't have happened if you guys actually were here to apply justice like you are supposed to do." Kenai argued back.

"You can explain yourself all you like, back at the Headquarters." he responded while gesturing to one of his subordinates. Said subordinate immediately shot a cable at Kenai, wrapping him tightly and leaving him tied from the shoulders to the hips. Kenai did NOT take being tied with metal cables well.

"Hey, back off!" he shouted while trying to break free. The metalbender just smirked and started pulling him closer to get a proper hold of him.

'Oh, you so not should have smiled.' Kenai thought angrily. Without thinking much about the consequences, he made his move. "I said back OFF!" the airbending master shouted before launching himself towards his captor and blasting him of backwards, using both of his legs to kick him in his stomach.

His comrades approached the young man and caught each of his legs with those damned cables of theirs. Kenai landed on the ground and was taken to the squad vehicle while Korra was attempting to outrun them with Naga.

On his way to the Headquarters, Kenai had one thought in his mind.

'Totally worth it.'

* * *

"Let's see. Multiple counts of destruction of city property, evading arrest and acts of violence towards the city's law enforcers. You two are in deep, deep trouble." the woman said to Kenai and Korra, who were brought to the interrogation room after being apprehended. She had grey hair and green eyes and was wearing the standard metalbending armor. Judging by her looks, Kenai deduced she was the one in charge of the building. Korra, on the other hand, wasn't as calm as her companion.

"But some thugs were threatening a helpless shopkeeper and we had to-"

"Can it! What you should have done was to call the police force and stay out of the way, not starting a ground war in the middle of my city." the frowny woman said, interrupting Korra from explaining themselves.

"I know, but I just couldn't sit there and do nothing. See, I'm the Avatar." Korra explained looking sheepishly at the end, praying to the Spirits the Avatar card worked. Oh, how wrong she was.

"Oh, I'm well aware of who you are. And your little Avatar title might impress some people, but not me." she said condescendingly. The woman now turned to see Kenai, who was sitting right next to Korra. "What's your excuse, brat?"

"How about you treat me a little nicer for starters. I don't like you insulting me over nothing, granny." Kenai responded. That woman rubbed him the wrong way. If she expected him to respect her after openly calling him a brat, she was in for a big surprise.

The lady's face expression turned into a murderous one. "What did you just call me, kid!? I am Chief Beifong and you will address me as such!" The nerve of that brat! How dare he treat her in such a dismissing way? Besides, she wasn't even that old.

"Wait a minute." Korra realized. "Beifong? Lin Beifong? You're Toph's daughter!" she exclaimed.

Lin shrugged. "What of it?"

"But if you're Toph's daughter, then why are you treating us like criminals? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together."

"That's ancient history and it's got diddly squat with the mess you two have gotten yourself into. None of you can just walk in here and go vigilante like you own the place."

Kenai smirked. This was going to be fun. "In that case Chief Beifong, may I know why your so called law enforcers are never around whenever a crime is being committed? Every time I walk through the streets of Republic City, the triads are always taking advantage of the less fortunate. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you actually had this city under control."

"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?" Lin asked with a dangerous tone.

The young man just shrugged. "Not at all, Chief Beifong. I'm just pointing out how much you suck at it." 'Once again, totally worth it.'

Before Lin could metalbend the crap out of Kenai, a small panel in the wall slid open, revealing the face of a police officer. "Chief Beifong, I am sorry to interrupt your interrogation but Councilman Tenzin has arrived and wishes to have a word with you."

Lin was fighting with herself. She knew she had to deal with Tenzin, but the urge to smack the loud-mouthed brat to death was very hard to control. In the end, she just sighed and indicated her subordinate to let the councilman in. The police officer nodded and opened the door, revealing a certain airbender that looked stressed out of his mind.

"Sorry Tenzin. We got a little side-tracked on our way to see you." Korra said sheepishly.

Tenzin said nothing as he glared at them. Letting out a sigh, he turned to face Lin with the most charming smile he could do. "Lin, you are looking radiant as usual." he started to say.

Hearing what his uncle just said, Kenai had no other option but to bit his lower lip hard enough to feel blood in order to suppress his laughter. 'Like that wrinkled mummy would ever buy such a thing.'

Of course, she didn't. "Cut the garbage, Tenzin. Why are the Avatar and her boyfriend here in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her." Upon hearing the word boyfriend, both Kenai and Korra reacted. Kenai simply smiled amused by the whole thing while Korra blushed significantly. The thought of having Kenai as a boyfriend sure sounded tempting, but she quickly dismissed the idea. They barely knew each other, and while he seemed to be pretty friendly, the odds of being in a relationship were slim at their best. It wasn't like he would be interested in her anyways. With his looks, he probably had every girl in Republic City drooling and throwing themselves at him.

The voice of Tenzin brought her back to the real world. "My relocation has been delayed. The Avatar on the other hand will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where she will STAY PUT." Tenzin said.

"But-"

"If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra and my nephew, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages."

Lin looked surprised for a second, but her surprise quickly turned into annoyance. "This little brat is your nephew?" she asked with a frown.

"I thought I said you should stop calling me brat yo-" Kenai started until Tenzin cut him off.

"Yes, this young man is my nephew. His name is Kenai and he is, like me, an airbender."

"An airbender!?" Korra asked/shouted in shock. Of all the things that had happened this day, finding out that Kenai was an airbender was the craziest one by far. "Kenai, why didn't you tell me?"

"I kinda wanted to give you a surprise. Bombarding you with my awesomeness all at once didn't seem fair." he replied calmly.

After a few seconds, Lin sighed and unlocked both of the teen's handcuffs. "Just get them out of my city." She really didn't have time for this. Her current investigations demanded all of her attention and while the idea of smacking the little punk tempted her, she decided to wait for him to do another of these stunts in order to claim vengeance. Maybe he got away with it once, but by the Spirits he wouldn't get away with it twice.

Tenzin visibly relaxed as he spoke to Lin. "Always a pleasure, Lin. Korra, Kenai, let's go." he said as he gestured the Avatar and his nephew. As Korra was leaving, Chief Beifong gave her an 'I'm watching you' glare along with a hand gesture, which Korra didn't hesitate to return. Kenai gave her a quick wink before closing the door.

And so, the three of them exited the room, leaving a very angry and frustrated Chief of Police behind.

|Outside the interrogation room|

"Tenzin, please don't send me back home." Korra pleaded the aged airbender.

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus." Tenzin responded.

"But Katara agreed with me that I should come! She said my destiny is in Republic City."

At the mention of Tenzin's beloved mother, Kenai inwardly snickered. 'Oh, this is gonna be even funnier.' "She's right, you know. Before I returned to the Air Temple during our little visit I had a talk with her. When I asked her about how she felt about Korra's current situation, she said and I'm quoting right now: 'I don't think this is what my husband wanted for her.' Therefore, she agreed that Korra should leave the South Pole. You can ask her if you want." 'AHA! We got you mamma's boy!'

The face of Tenzin turned red instantly. "Don't bring my mother into this!" he shouted.

Korra ignored Tenzin's outburst. "Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hiding away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar. I saw a lot of the city today and it's totally out of whack. I understand now why Republic City needs you, but it needs me too."

Before Tenzin could argue back, a voice was heard on the other side of the room.

"Is this you Polar Bear Dog, miss?"

|Air Temple docks|

Kenai watched as a ship waited for Korra in the docks. He really hated seeing her go back to her so called home, which was filled with moody White Lotus old geezers that kept her in captivity. Before she left, Kenai decided to say some parting words, if only just to make her feel a little better, very much like the other night at the South Pole.

Approaching the girl, Kenai spoke up. "Hey there."

Korra looked up and saw the airbender in front of her with a sad smile. "Hey Kenai."

"Listen, just because you're going back doesn't mean you won't see me around. I promised I would visit you from time to time, and I intend to keep my word."

The young Avatar looked him with surprise. "You really mean it?" she asked.

Tenzin's nephew grinned at her. "Yeah, I really do. What kind of friend would I be if I let you all alone in that snowy hell?"

Korra was stunned. Kenai was acknowledging her as a friend, something she had always wanted since she was a little girl. Sure, she had Naga and Katara who were there for her, but it just wasn't the same. Ever since they met a couple of days ago in the South Pole, Kenai had treated her kindly and with genuine interest. He didn't saw her just as the Avatar, but as Korra, the hotheaded girl from the Southern Water Tribe. Not only that, but he also promised to visit her when he had the time, and now she really believed him.

Overwhelmed by her emotions, Korra walked right into Kenai and gave him a bone-crushing hug. Kenai was a little surprised by her actions but quickly returned the embrace. "Thank you." she whispered into his ear.

"No problem." Kenai responded. They kept hugging each other for a minute before Korra realized she was hugging Kenai a little too hard. She couldn't help but notice that Kenai's torso was very hard, yet also soft. She quickly ended the hug and stared at her friend.

"Sorry about that." Korra said while rubbing the back of her head, a small blush coming out of her cheeks. Kenai, in return, gave her his signature smirk along with his infamous wink, the ones that made him so popular around Republic City's gossipy girls. The Avatar could only feel her cheeks slowly heating up upon seeing his gesture.

Suddenly, the three children of Tenzin and Pema landed right in front of them using their gliders.

"Korra!" they all shouted in excitement.

"Are you going to move to the Air Temple?" Ikki asked with excitement.

"No. I'm sorry Ikki, but I have to go home now." Korra said with sadness as she knelt down and placed her hands on both Ikki and Jinora's shoulders. The three airbenders 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawed' in unison.

Kenai approached the airbending trio. "Hey guys, glad to see you too. It's nice to see you care for your beloved old cousin for a change." he said pretending to be hurt.

"Kenai!" The three kids shouted. Meelo ruan towards him and clenched to his leg, not letting it go.

"How's it going, squirt?" Kenai asked his surrogate cousin.

"Hey I'm not a squirt, I'm a full grown man!" Meelo shouted in anger.

Kenai just shrugged. "Sure thing, squirt."

"Are you gonna let me ride Sozu now?"

"Maybe I would've let you if you hadn't let his food bag open. Now I have to buy a new one."

"Aaaaaaaw stinky." Meelo pouted.

Now it was time for Jinora to step in. "Kenai, why were you and Korra hugging?"

Before either of them could answer, Ikki opened her question-cannon mouth. "Are you dating Korra? Are you her boyfriend? Did you two kissed? Are you getting married?"

The young airbender saw this coming a mile away. The same thing could not be said about Korra, if the steam coming out of her tomato-red face was anything to go by.

Before any explanation could be said, Tenzin spoke up. "Wait." he said gaining the attention of everyone. "I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it. But you are right. It has fallen out of balance since he has passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are his legacy. You may stay and train airbending here with me, for Republic City needs its Avatar once again." he finished while placing a hand on Korra's shoulder, which made her gasp.

Unable to resist the urge, Korra shouted. "Yes! Thank you, you're the best!" She then proceeded to hug Meelo, Jinora and Ikki, who were also cheering out of joy.

"What about me? Don't I get a second hug?" Kenai asked.

Korra ignored his plead as she continued to hug the kids. Kenai then turned to face his uncle and gave him a look that clearly said 'Thanks softie.', which went with a crap-eating grin.

Tenzin send him a glare back. 'Shut yer' mouth Kenai.'

As they were making their way back to the Air Temple, Kenai was thinking about everything that happened since the day of their visit to the South Pole. He had no idea what the future would bring him, but one thing was certain. There was this sensation he couldn't get out of his head, and he didn't mind.

'I have a feeling that things are about to get a lot more fun.' he thought with a smile.

* * *

Review, Favorite and/or Follow please. Tips are always welcomed.

Thanks to **jaimed1968** for beta-reading this chapter.

Peace!


	2. REPUBLIC CITY'S AVATAR

The Element of Freedom

(Disclaimer: I do not own LOK. I only own my OC's)

* * *

CHAPTER 2: REPUBLIC CITY'S AVATAR AND REVELATIONS

|Air Temple in the morning|

As the sun rose up over the Air Temple, Kenai was fighting the everyday struggle. The brawl he was cursed to engage for the rest of his life.

His greatest opponent, a threat bigger than anything any Avatar had ever faced.

Getting out of bed.

As Kenai relentlessly tried to stand up, he could feel it. He was winning. When his feet touched the wooden floor, he used all of his strength to move. If he failed to get up, he knew he would be doomed and the dark forces of laziness would stand tall at the very end.

It was now or never.

Using all of his might, he jumped out of bed and took a minute to regain his balance. It took a while, but it was done. He looked back and glanced at the corpse that was his bed, sheets completely out of place. A reminder of the grand battle he fought every day.

'Once more, I stand victorious against you. We will face again tomorrow, but be certain that I shall be your downfall like every time we have fought,' the fearsome warrior thought dramatically as he exited his room.

It was finally over.

Walking towards the dining room, Kenai was thinking about what he would do this morning. It had been a while since he continued his workout sessions, so he decided that he should make up for it by extending them temporally with longer and more exhausting exercises. Occasionally, Kenai would pack a few things and go to a secluded area in the island forest were he could try out new techniques in peace, not afraid of having Tenzin on his back complaining about how misdirected his airbending was.

Seriously, couldn't he give him a break once in a while? As different as his airbending was from the traditional ways, it was still airbending. Besides, if he had adjusted to the traditional ways, Kenai was certain he wouldn't be as good as he was right now.

Talking about Kenai's airbending, he never showed his true abilities to Tenzin. Why would he? As much as he cared for his uncle and respected him in most of his decisions, Kenai had a goal. And his goal was to show his mom and dad how much of an amazing airbender he had become. When they came back from wherever they were now, he would show them and make them proud.

'It's been some time since I last received a letter from them. What's taking them so long?'

He shrugged. Now it was time for breakfast, and when it was time for breakfast it was time for breakfast and nothing more. When he reached the dining table, he heard Korra and Tenzin discussing something.

"So I have to go to a press conference today?" Korra asked her teacher.

"Yes. The Council and I believe that you should introduce yourself to the city. They must know you are here with them now. But don't worry, it shouldn't take too long," Tenzin replied.

Korra sighed. "Great. A country-girl giving a speech in the big city. I wonder how's that gonna turn out." She already had one heck of a first day in Republic City yesterday, and she would much rather try to outrun the metalbenders again than to go and face all of those journalists and reporters asking questions. Actions were her thing, not words.

"Morning everyone," Kenai said while taking a seat next to the Avatar.

"Morning Kena-" Korra started to say before she realized something.

Kenai was sitting next to her...

... wearing a white tank top...

... and in boxers!

Now, let's analyze the situation here. Going around wearing boxers was a normal thing for Kenai. He stopped caring for whatever Tenzin had to say about his clothes a long time ago. He was eighteen and he had the right to wear whatever he liked, as long as it wasn't something too ridiculous or over the top. His uncle may not be very fond of his clothing choices but he would put up with it, or at least try to.

However, the one who was CERTAINLY not used to seeing guys in their underwear was Korra. The poor girl was so shocked to see a guy wearing so little clothing she couldn't even talk. She just sat there in silent, staring at him with her mouth slightly open. 'Why am I seeing this?'

Apparently, Kenai wasn't aware of the sudden silence and casually started eating his usual breakfast. He wondered why his uncle had yet to greet him back, but hey, it was the morning and nobody is very attentive when they just got out of bed. So he just shrugged it off and reached for the jug of milk.

Tenzin glared at his nephew and coughed forcibly in order to catch his attention. The boy was not aware that his current attire was... distracting Korra.

"Huh, you alright uncle?" Kenai asked concerned. His only answer was another cough from Tenzin. It was possible that he wasn't seeing things very well due to being fresh out of bed, but Kenai could have sworn he saw Tenzin's right eye twitching. 'What's his deal?' he thought.

And then there was Korra, who still looked flustered for some reason. 'And what's her deal? Do I have something on my face?'

Then he realized what was going on.

"Oh right, we have a guest now. Sorry, hehehe." Kenai awkwardly excused himself before leaving the room.

Tenzin sighed. "Anyways, we should leave for Republic City in about two hours. When the conference starts, you have to remain calm and answer every question like..." the councilman started to explain. But at this point, Korra simply was not able to focus on whatever Tenzin had to say. The only thing that was wandering in her mind was the image of Kenai in boxers and tank top sitting near her. It was unexpected and she didn't quite know what to make of it. 'I just hope that I get to see him more like that every once in a while,' she thought carelessly.

'Wait a second. What did I just think? Bad Korra!' she mentally shouted at herself as a small blush of embarrassment appeared on her face. After a while she calmed down and kept telling herself that she was not some kind of pervert just because she liked a guy's body. It was a stupid thing to believe, right?

...

Right?

"Korra, are you listening?" Tenzin's voice shot her back to the real world.

"Me? Y-Yeah I got it. Don't worry," she said in a very unconvincing manner. 'I'm screwed.'

'She is screwed,' the airbender thought in unison.

* * *

|Republic City press conference|

'Okay, I take it back. I'm not just screwed, I'm completely, one hundred percent, totally and utterly screwed,' was the thought of the teenage Avatar as she walked towards her seat in front of hundreds and hundreds of photographers that kept blinding her with multiple flashes of light. She really could care less about how she looked in the pictures; she just wanted to get over with this as soon as possible. Really, what was it with putting her in front of so many people and answer questions?

'Can't I just... I don't know; write my answers on a sheet of paper? Wait, scratch that. I am so NOT writing that much.'

Fortunately, Tenzin came with her in an attempt to keep her calm and suggest what questions she should answer and what not. She really appreciated the gesture. Otherwise she would make a fool of herself in an unimaginable way.

And so she started. "Hello, I'm Korra. Your new Avatar," she started to say. 'Well, that went perfect.'

What was her reward, you might ask? Why a barrage of question of course!

"Does this mean you're moving into Republic City?"

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?"

"Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?"

Trying to compose herself from the sudden outburst of questions, Korra spoke up. "Uhm, yes. I am definitely here to stay, but... I honestly I don't exactly have a plan... yet? See, I'm still in training, but look. All I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world. And I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you. I'm so happy to be here! Thank you, Republic City!"

Hearing Korra's statement, the crowd cheered loudly. Korra herself was relieved she somewhat pulled it off, not wanting to have her first official day as Republic City's Avatar ruined. That was when Tenzin interrupted the second barrage of question the journalists were preparing.

"Alright, those were all the questions the Avatar can answer for today. Korra, let's go."

As they rushed off stage, Korra couldn't help but ask Tenzin. "Soooooo, how did I do back there?"

"Well enough," was his response. "With some luck, we should be able to avoid any other conferences that may present themselves soon. That way, we should be able to work on your airbending peacefully."

"Good. Because honestly, I don't feel like doing this kind of stuff ever again."

"However, you must realize that you will be expected to attend to these sort of events. That includes important meeting and maybe social galas," Tenzin reminded her.

Korra sighed. "I know."

|Air Temple|

Back at the Air Temple, Kenai was finishing doing push-ups and was getting ready to do some jogging around the island. He was currently wearing his training uniform, which consisted of a white t-shirt and beige shorts that went from his hips to the end of his knees. Bandages that went from his ankles to his toes were wrapped around his feet.

He really missed the feeling of actually being physically tired but at the same time wanting to work out more. Pushing his limits was one of the things he did best, from having an excellent and healthy body that could be just as dangerous as any weapon out there to expanding the typical mindset of airbending by showing his own.

Talking about Kenai's airbending, the best way to describe it was by saying he was basically an airbending powerhouse. Instead of finding and following the path of least resistance, his airbending was based on overpowering the objective with the use of brute force. That didn't mean he would just jump in at the sight of the enemy and smash him with air, as tempting as the idea might be. But if an attack was heading his way, he wouldn't always try to evade it. Instead, he would charge and make use of his strength and speed in combat.

Finishing his stretches, Kenai spotted Korra walking over the docks along with Tenzin.

Kenai smirked. Maybe the laps around the island could wait a little longer.

"Hey Korra," Kenai greeted his female friend.

"Hey Kenai. What are you doing here?" Korra greeted back. The change of clothes called her attention.

"I was just in the middle of my daily work out. What about you?"

"I just got back from our little press conference in Republic City."

"Oh, that's right! How did it go?" Kenai asked with interest.

"It was okay, I guess," she said as she took a seat on a bench nearby. "I was actually kinda' nervous. I'd never seen so many people in one place before, it was crazy." Kenai nodded in understanding before taking a seat next to her. "So, do you work out a lot?" she asked in order to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, almost every day," Kenai responded.

"Really?" Korra asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"Well, I've been living for ten years now at the temple. After a while, you can get pretty bored if you're not practicing airbending or meditating. So exercising can be great to pass the time. You get some fresh air, physical conditioning and you get to sleep like a baby at the end of the day," he said while laughing a little at the end.

"I know, right? When I was in the South Pole, I used to practice my bending almost every day so I know what it means to work your butt off in order to get good at something."

"Yeah. Hey, I wanted to apologize for my little scene this morning," Kenai said in a more serious tone of voice. The sudden change took the Avatar off guard.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about having breakfast with you in my underwear. You have to understand, we rarely have any guests coming over here and honestly I'm not really awake until I have my breakfast. Seriously, I could have gone into the room naked and I still wouldn't have noticed," he apologized with some humor, making Korra giggle a bit.

"It's fine, really. I didn't even remember it until you brought it up now," Korra said mockingly.

"Really? Well, now I feel a little stupid," Kenai said back. The two of them looked at one another for a second before they started to laugh.

When the laughter died down, Kenai's eyes lightened up in anticipation. "Hey, how about we have a spar, see if you have what it takes to keep up with me?" he cockily asked.

"Oh come on, I'm the Avatar. You should be the one wondering if you can keep up with me," she cockily retorted while closing her deep cerulean eyes. In all honesty, Korra wanted to spar with him just as much as Kenai wanted too. Back in the 'old days' with the White Lotus, she was highly praised by Katara and her masters because of her skill. It prided her to know that she was good at fighting, being the brash and 'all-out' girl of always. However, the White Lotus sparring partners quickly bored her. She would simply beat them in about five minutes, ten at the most. It was boring.

But now, she had the opportunity to spar with an airbender, something she had never done in all her life. And for some reason, she had a feeling Kenai was going to be fun to practice with.

"Don't worry Korra. I promise I'll go easy on you. Does that sounds good, little Avatar?" Kenai taunted her.

And by the Spirits did it work.

"Hey, who are you calling little?" Korra snapped.

"That would be you, Korra. Do you forget that I'm eighteen and you're seventeen?"

"Are you kidding me? You are just a year older than me!"

"I stand correct," Kenai said smugly. It was officially on.

|One hour later|

"(Panth, panth)... That has to be... (Panth, panth)... the best spar... (Panth, panth) I've ever had in my life," Kenai said while breathing heavy. They had been sparring a little over an hour now and they both ended up to tired to keep going without blowing up the island.

"Tell me about it... (Panth, panth)... I don't think I've ever had... (Panth, panth)... This much fun practicing before... (Panth, panth)," Korra replied a little bit more exhausted than Kenai.

The spar consisted of going all-out against each other without the use of brute force. Hand to hand combat was allowed. At first, when Kenai told Korra she should use all three of her elements against him, she believed he was being cocky like always. However, she quickly found out he wasn't messing with her when he easily dodged the water whips she used against him and airbended a fist to her gut, which in turn sent her flying a few meters back, making her lower back meet the ground 'face to face'. It was only then that she started taking him seriously and attacked with water, earth and fire. Using her three elements increased her chances of winning, but Kenai was simply too fast for her to catch him off guard.

She didn't have much more luck in the hand to hand department. She expected to have the advantage here, but Kenai was just as good in punching and kicking as he was in his airbending. Both of them would exchange and block each other's blows for a couple of minutes before Kenai landed a decisive hit, strong enough to break her defenses and submitted her. The way he moved impressed Korra. It was like she was fighting a firebender, an airbender and an earthbender all the same. She recognized some moves of each style because of her previous Avatar training in the South Pole, but he changes his fighting style so quickly she couldn't react in time.

"How did you... (Panth, panth)... learn to fight like that?" she asked while trying to regain her breath.

"I learned it... (Panth, panth) by myself. Almost everything I know... (Panth, panth)... Is self-taught," Kenai responded.

His answer made the Avatar gawk out of surprise. "Are you for real? You learned all of that on your own?" she asked looking at him in awe. She was too shocked by his answer that she forgot how tired she actually was.

"Yeah. Like I said before, aside from my airbending lessons I had a lot of free time, which I used in learning how to fight. It definitely comes in handy when I have to punch my way out of a situation without revealing my bender nature."

"Man, if that's what I'm going to learn from your uncle then I can't wait to get started," Korra said excitedly. She just couldn't wait to airbend like Kenai!

"About that... Uncle Tenzin doesn't really approve of the way I airbend that much. He says that I'm 'misdirecting my airbending teachings'. Not that I really care about that anyways. Traditional airbending was never my thing," Kenai replied calmly. "Besides..," he trailed off.

Korra noticed how his usually cool and confident attitude suddenly changed. This worried her a bit. "Besides what?" she asked concerned.

Kenai took a big breath and let out a sigh. "Besides, he's not really my uncle... per say."

"What? What do you mean Tenzin is not your uncle?" Korra asked very surprised by the revelation. The way Kenai acted with Tenzin suggested that they were close, family-close actually. Why would Kenai call Tenzin uncle anyways if they were not?

Kenai didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a seat before starting to explain. "Do you remember when I told you I've been living with Tenzin since I was eight?" Korra nodded. "Before that, I used to live with my parents in a farm outside of Republic City near Ba Sing Se. My dad is an earthbender who married a Water Tribe girl from the North Pole. They both moved to a little place away from the big cities where they could start a family in peace," Kenai started to say while having flashbacks of his happy and care-free childhood, a small smile coming out of his face at the memories. "You should have seen the place, it was beautiful."

The young airbender realized he was getting distracted by his thoughts. "The thing is, Tenzin knew my father for some years now and they were very close friends. Tenzin was the calm one while my father was the brash one. I think I got that from him," he chuckled slightly. "One day, Tenzin visited us in the farm to discuss something important. I didn't really pay much attention to that. I was too busy having fun running around the place trying to catch Jackalopes and what not. Next day, my dad took me for a walk and told me that he and mom were going on a very long trip around the world in a couple of days and that I couldn't come with them. I begged them to take me with them, but they wouldn't change their minds. Instead, Tenzin sort of adopted me and brought me to the temple to live with him and Pema. I... I haven't seen my parents since then. They send me letters now and then, but that's about it," he ended with a hunch of sadness as he looked down and narrowed his eyes.

"Kenai..," Korra whispered. She would have never imagined something like that from her friend. She herself knew what it felt like not seeing one's parents for a long time, but she didn't think Kenai would. Apparently, there was more from him than meets the eye at first sight.

"That's why I call Tenzin my uncle and he calls me nephew. Even though we are not blood-related, I have grown to care for him and aunt Pema a lot. I guess the correct term for them would be godparents, but I prefer to call them uncle and aunt."

Korra suddenly realized something. "But wait, if you are not blood-related with Tenzin or his family, how come you can airbend?"

Kenai's eyes met Korra's. "As hard that it is to believe, I don't really know. I wasn't even born a bender, actually. All I remember was waking up one day feeling funny, like there was something inside me. Something called me and begged me to try airbending, and after a few tries I was able to push some air into my hands and shoot small barrages of air. Normally I would have asked myself how in the Spirits world was I able to airbend. After all, neither of my parents were airbenders. My dad was an earthbender and my mom wasn't even a waterbender, but I was just too excited to care about that," he said while remembering his first days as an airbender. "I remember that I used to airbend my mom all the time, messing with her hair until I basically invented new hairstyles using her as a practice doll."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Korra couldn't help but giggle. She pictured an eight year-old Kenai shooting small air blasts around everywhere with a woman resembling her mom with her hair done like she just got done riding an Air-Bison at top speed.

"Anyways," Kenai suddenly said standing up. "Enough with the sad talk. One day, they will come back and they will see how much of an airbender their son has grown to be. Right now, I have an amazing family I can call my own, a good place to live, a giant Raven-Eagle I can ride for a pet and you as my friend. I don't think there are many people in this world as lucky as me," he finished as he gave Korra a small, yet genuine smile full of determination and sincerity.

Hearing those words, Korra was amazed by his determination and the way he looked at life. If she had any doubts before, they were absolutely gone by now. Kenai was certainly far more fascinating than she thought before. She somewhat scolded herself for not thinking more of Kenai than just a guy with a pretty face that was around the temple. Besides, hearing him say that he felt lucky because she was his friend was more than enough for Korra to feel joyful, even if she tried to hide it. She just smiled at him back. "Don't worry. I'm sure that they will feel proud when they see you," was the only thing she managed to say. Her mind was not exactly clear for the time being.

"You're right. After all, what kind of parents who have the most awesome airbender for a son wouldn't be proud?"

"Mmmhh, I think the parents of the Avatar are prouder," Korra retorted. She was glad that Kenai was back at being himself, but she simply had to tease him after hearing him.

"Huh-huh. Last time I checked, the Avatar was supposed to bend the four elements, not just three of them. Right now, you're as much as the Avatar as I am," he fired back.

"Oh yeah? Well... Uhmm... Shut up," was the only response she could think of, her face turning a little red. He got her good on that one.

"Shut up? Wow, nice comeback," Kenai said sarcastically. Said response earned him a punch in his left arm with an annoyed glare from Korra. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"That was for being such a smartass," she said, still looking sour for her verbal defeat.

Anyone else would have stopped teasing her at that point.

However, this is Kenai we're talking about.

"Is that right?" he asked while glaring at her back with a serious look on his face... just before spreading his legs and point at her with his right index finger making a dramatic pose. "Well I'm Kenai and you gotta' deal with it!"

At first she glanced at him with a 'what the heck?' kind of look. But after a few seconds she realized he was teasing her with her childhood catchphrase!

No one teased her with that and got away with it. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE.

As her face turned redder than red itself, Korra started pursuing Kenai who was running for his life. He was well aware he was probably in for a free, all included 'ass-kicking' session with her, but once again, it was worth it.

Soon, the island was filled with screams of laughter and shouts of 'get back here you jerk!', that one being the nicest of the repertory. Spirits, who knew Korra could swear so much in just one sentence?

* * *

|Next day|

"... And in the final round the Buzzer Wasps won with a decisive knockout," Korra said as she read the newspaper. They were currently having the traditional tea break inside the temple. She then turned to see Tenzin with an excited look on her face. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few Pro-bending matches maybe?"

Tenzin looked offended. "That sport is a-"

"-Mockery of the noble tradition of bending?" Kenai cut him off as he sat next to Korra. He was currently wearing the same white tank top but instead of the boxers he used to exhibit he wore a grey sweatpants, all covered by a red 'airbender-like' morning coat.

The councilman took a minute to look at his nephew's new sleeping attire. While it still wasn't exactly how a proper airbender should look in the morning, it was an undeniable improvement over the boxers. Satisfied by both his nephew's clothes and answer, Tenzin nodded. "Indeed."

Kenai sighed as he shook his head. His uncle was so obvious at times.

"Oh come on Tenzin, I've been dreaming to see a Pro-bending match since I was a kid and now I'm just a ferry ride away," Korra pleaded as she pointed at the Arena across the lake.

Kenai stepped in. "You know, if air is supposed to be the element of freedom, why don't you give us some freedom and let us watch a match?" he asked in an attempt to convince him. In reality, he had sneaked from the island before to watch some of the matches that were being held, but he kept it a secret in order to avoid an unnecessary discussion with his uncle.

"You are not here to watch that drivel, you are here to dedicate yourself to the art of airbending. So for the time being, I want the two of you to remain on the island," Tenzin argued back, not buying Kenai's excuse of an argument. Even though it did make a little sense.

"Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" Korra asked as she pointed to the White Lotus sentries that were present in the room. It reminded her of the South Pole Compound, all of the guards constantly watching over her day and night.

"Yes. In order to learn airbending I believe you require a calm and quiet environment free from any distractions," her airbending master lectured her hoping to end the argument before anything else could be said.

"That's exactly what she had back at the South Pole, uncle. How good did that work for her airbending?" Kenai asked.

"Her time in the South Pole was spent teaching her fire, earth and waterbending, not airbending. If it wasn't for our current situation I could have taught her there."

Before the argument could've continued, Korra sighed. "Alright, you're the master," she said in a defeated tone of voice before staring at the sight of Republic City.

Kenai didn't miss the look on her face. 'She's gonna' go there anyways, isn't she?'

|Air Temple training ground|

Kenai was currently spending time with his cousins in the training ground. Even though Ikki and Meelo could prove to be quite the pieces of work, the two of them really were good-willed and occasionally made him laugh, so he would put up with them. Jinora was the calm and wise one out of the group, she being the only one able to actually satisfy some of the curiosity of Ikki, and that was no small feat however one saw it.

"Hey, Kenai," Jinora asked her 'cousin' she was so fond of. Even if they were not really cousins, Jinora had always considered Kenai part of the family, an older brother figure if you may.

"What's up Jin?" Kenai said to Jinora using the nickname he had come up for her a few years ago.

"What do you think of Korra?"

"What do I think of Korra? Well she's strong, funny, pretty, rebellious and kind of a tomboy. All in all, she's great. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," she shrugged.

"Are you going to marry her?" asked a certain bun-haired girl.

"I don't know, Ikki. Do you think I should marry Korra?" Kenai asked his younger cousin following the game.

Ikki's face instantly glowed in anticipation. "Yeah! That way we would always have Korra around and you two would have babies and I'll get to be a flower girl at the wedding and then Daddy would be a Granddaddy and Mommy would be a Grandmamma and Grandmamma Katara would be a Grangranmamma Katara and and and..," Ikki kept going on about how great everyone's lives would be if Kenai and Korra were married until she was finally out of breath.

"Hey look, it's Korra!" Meelo shouted. Jinora, Ikki and Kenai turned around to see Tenzin walking towards the training ground along with Korra, who was dressed like an airbender for the occasion.

"Korra's gonna' airbend! Korra's gonna' airbend!" Ikki squealed in delight while jumping up and down.

As soon as Korra saw the airbending tool that was going to be used, she frowned. "What is that contraption?" she asked.

"A time honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspects of airbending," Tenzin explained. He then looked at his oldest daughter. "Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?"

She nodded. "The goal is to weave your way through the gates and to make it to the other side without touching them," Jinora explained.

"Seems easy enough," Korra confidently declared

Hearing her naive answer, Kenai laughed. "Looks like somebody forgot to say that you have to do it while the gates are spinning."

Tenzin then took a step forward and released an air blast to the gates, which started to spin around at great speed. He then sent a leaf towards the gates which weaved its way through the gates, not being touched once. "The key is to be the leaf. Flow with the movements of the gates. Jinora will demonstrate."

Jinora prepared for a minute before effortlessly making her way through the gates.

As she was doing the exercise, Tenzin elaborated. "Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance you must be able to switch directions at a moment's notice," he said.

Jinora finished the exercise and sent a gust of air towards the doors so Korra could start her training.

"Let's do this!" Korra shouted. But when she started running towards the gates, Kenai immediately knew things were not going to end well.

'Judging by her foot stance and speed I'd say she's not trying to weave her way around, she's just trying to go there as fast as she can hoping she won't get touched. Normally I'd laugh but it seems a little cruel right now. Besides, she already kicked my butt good last night.' "Hey uncle, I think I'm going to go now," Kenai said.

Tenzin looked at him questionably. "I thought you wanted to see Korra train?"

"I do want to see her train. I do not want to see her get beaten into a pulp," Kenai said as he started walking to the temple. He didn't even walked three steps before both airbenders heard sounds of Korra being smashed constantly by the gates. "By the way, I'll ask one of the White Lotus guards to bring a medical kit over here."

"Thank you, Kenai."

|Air Temple at night|

"Airbend," Korra exclaimed as she attempted to throw an air blast using a picture of Chief Beifong from the newspaper.

Seeing how her airbending attempts were fruitless, Korra grew frustrated. "What's wrong with me? Airbend!" she said as she tried another time. Needless to say, she got the same results.

'Screw it,' she thought angrily while burning the picture with her firebending. Korra had been trying to airbend for the last half hour and not a single time she felt like she was getting close to actually doing something that resembled airbending. Why was it so hard when all the other elements came to her so easily? When she was five years-old she was already capable of bending water, fire and earth. Yet for the past twelve years she had been training, her airbending had yet to manifest itself. She thought that at least she would learn something once she moved to the Air Temple, but everything was as useless as ever. Was it some kind of joke from Aang or one of the previous Avatars?

"Maybe I'm just not cut out to be an airbender, huh Naga?" Korra asked her Polar Bear Dog who was keeping her company. Before she could continue to take her frustration on another innocent newspaper, Korra heard a voice nearby.

"Yo," she turned around to see Kenai holding a glass of lychee juice.

"Oh, hey Kenai. Didn't see you there," Korra greeted her friend. Kenai instantly knew she was frustrated because of her training results earlier. If you can say they were results, that is.

"Come on, it's just day one. Don't let it get to you," Kenai said trying to comfort her.

"I know, but it's just so frustrating. I thought that by moving here I would actually learn something, but so far the only thing I've achieved has been getting knocked down by those stupid doors."

"Do you know how much it took me to actually get around those doors?" Kenai asked.

"What, three days?" Korra asked back, still in a bad mood.

"Actually, it took me three months. Ikki, Meelo and Jinora would swoop in into the doors while I would get my lower back handed to me. So yeah, I do know how frustrating it can be," the young airbender said.

"Ok, but how does that helps me?" Korra asked confused.

"Easy! If it took me, the greatest airbender to ever live, three months to finally get that exercise down, why would you feel bad if you didn't get it in your first day?"

Korra chuckled a bit. Kenai seemed to have the ability to improve her mood in just a few minutes of talking. Even if he was a little cocky sometimes, Korra was glad to have him around. It made her wonder if this was how it felt to be a normal teenager. Suddenly, she started to laugh out of nowhere.

"Hm, what's so funny?" Kenai asked a little weirded out for the sudden change.

"Ohhh nothing, I was just trying to imagine how much of an 'awesome airbender' you must have felt when three little kids could actually go through the doors while you were getting your butt kicked by them," she teased.

Kenai looked slightly offended. "Whatever," he muttered, looking a little embarrassed. The memories of those doors beating the crap out of him were still fresh in his mind. Oh how much he wanted to punish the insolence of those darned doors back there.

Korra was happy for finally getting back at Kenai for the other night. Teasing him had proved to be quite the stress-relief method. It might have been a little selfish, but she just didn't care right now.

A certain voice coming out of a radio drew their attention. A couple of White Lotus sentries were hearing the Pro-bending matches of the night at their guard posts.

"So Korra, what'd you say we go hear the matches on the radio?" Kenai asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Sure, but I don't think the sentries will like us sneaking around and listening to the radio with them," Korra said a little worried. She remembered all the times the White Lotus members scolded her for staying awake pass her bed time. Of course, she ignored them all of those times.

Kenai smirked at her. "Maybe, but they don't have to find out now, do they?"

"No, I guess not," Korra replied with a mischievous smile of her own.

"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go," Kenai said while the two of them made their way to the rooftops of the cabin where the sentries were housed.

Once they reached the rooftop, they started to hear the sport's commentator bringing the hype into the crowd. 20 minutes later and Korra was completely hooked. Her excited face reminded Kenai of a little girl whose parents allowed her to play any game she wanted at the amusement park. He tried to make some small-talk along the game but was hushed rather quickly by Korra, who didn't wanted anything distracting her from the radio.

And just when things were coming to an end, the radio was unplugged.

"Kenai, Korra, come down here please," the stern voice of Tenzin was heard.

Both of them jumped off the roof and met the old airbender's gaze. Korra was the first to start. "You shut it off at the best part!" she whined.

Tenzin ignored her complaint and started one of his infamous lectures. "I thought I made myself clear. I don't want either of you listening to any of this distracting nonsense."

"But it was their radio! And technically you said we couldn't watch one, you never said anything about listening to one," Korra argued.

"Ohhh, she got you good there uncle," Kenai said, adding his two yuans to the conversation.

"You... You know what I meant! Anyways shouldn't you two be in bed by now?" Tenzin weakly argued back before turning around and leaving the teens on their own.

|Morning in the Air Temple|

Kenai, after repeatedly punching a wooden practice dummy in order to improve his speed and reflexes, decided it was time for a break and went to meditate in his favorite spot. It was a big rock that had enough space at the top for Kenai to comfortably sit and face the sunlight. He was wearing his training gear, a white tank top and beige large shorts with bandages in his feet and forearms. He took his shirt off because of the sweat that was going down his torso.

'Okay, let's see how meditation goes,' was Kenai's last thought before closing his eyes and going in that limbo mind state where airbenders went before going into the Spiritual World. Apparently airbenders were very spiritual fellows and meditation was like a second nature to them. While he was no meditation master by any means, Kenai was able to relax, stay still and let the time pass by. As a matter of fact, a couple of times Kenai had meditated for so long in the morning he didn't finish until dark.

And as far as his airbending went, that was the proudest memory Tenzin had from his nephew.

Unknown to him, Korra was passing by near the stone. She just got out from yet another useless airbending lesson, this time on meditation.

"Stupid meditation," Korra muttered. Sitting still and wait for stuff to happen just wasn't Korra's style. It never was.

As she kept going on with her airbending rant, she suddenly saw a man sitting on top of a rock with his legs crossed and his hands placed on his knees. At first Korra thought it was just another monk of the Air Temple, but the idea was soon discarded. Why?

Reason number 1: He had long hair unlike all the rest of monks.

Reason number 2: He was shirtless.

Reason number 3: He had one heck of a body to show.

'Wait a minute. Is that... Kenai?' Korra thought in disbelief. He looked so calm and concentrated with his eyes closed he didn't seemed to have picked up her presence.

With her curiosity getting the better of her, Korra carefully approached her friend. She realized his body slightly glowed while facing the sunlight. In other words, he was sweating. Now the Avatar already had a general idea of how Kenai's body looked. She remembered when she hugged him goodbye a few nights ago before Tenzin said she could stay at the temple and learn airbending, feeling his hard body against her. Not to mention, when she finally saw him using that torn jacket of his, she did caught a glimpse of his bare arms which showed to be lean and muscular in their own right.

But seeing him shirtless was a completely different story.

All questions aside, Kenai was certainly fit. Marked abs, lean chest and well chiseled arms were among the things that stood out the most. The fact that his body was sweating all over didn't make him any less attractive, by the way. Unable to restrain herself, Korra approached Kenai as stealthy as she could to get a better look at him. Not because she had any lustful thoughts inside her head, don't be silly. She was merely interested in seeing the so called eye-candy of Republic City in all of his glory. Korra didn't realized it at the moment, but she had a sight in front of her that was fantasied by quite a lot of girls, who would probably fume in jealousy if they ever found out that Korra was seeing the body of Councilman Tenzin's nephew.

Little did Korra know, Kenai was already aware of her presence. Again, because he was still learning how to get into that 'completely detached from the outer world state of mind', he could still feel the people around him if they were close enough. And Korra was close enough alright. Resisting the urge to smile, he stayed still for a couple of seconds just too quickly open his eyes and look at Korra with a smirk. "Can I help you with something, Korra?"

"K-Kenai! What the heck, you scared me!" Korra practically shouted out of shock. The whole thing was so unexpected for her that she started stuttering.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you distracted me from my meditation. Can I ask why where you stalking me?"

"I was not stalking you!" Korra roared with a blush so red it was almost surreal. "I... I was just..."

"Admiring the view. Amazing, isn't it?" Kenai teased with a wink. Feeling like she was close to black out from embarrassment, Korra started walking away. Deciding that he had teased her enough, Kenai spoke up. "Don't worry Korra, I'm just messing with you. So how did the meditation go?"

Calming herself, she responded. "I think I'm even worse at meditating. Seriously, it's like the Spirits don't want me to learn airbending at all."

Realizing that this was no time for jokes, Kenai putted his shirt back on and jumped down from the rock. "Something you're not telling me?" he asked concerned.

Korra let out a sigh. "It's just that... What if I can't learn how to airbend? I'd be literally the worst Avatar ever," she said sadly.

Kenai approached the Avatar with words of encouragement. He wasn't just good at fighting and showing off, he also had a way with words. "Korra, don't get all sad just because you're not airbending right away. You WILL learn, and I'll be right there with you when you do," Kenai said reassuringly while making a pause to grab her hand warmly. "You say you're not sure if you have what it takes to be the Avatar? Well I say you have all what it takes to be the best Avatar the world has ever seen. That and more."

Hearing the words that came out of his mouth, Korra was again stunned by Kenai. It shocked her how much faith he had in her. Ever since she found out she was the Avatar, she felt like it was her destiny to become one whether she like it or not. Personally she thought it was awesome, but at the same time she had to deal with all the pressure that was on her shoulders and the high standards placed on her by the White Lotus. They expected her to follow their teachings and do their training drills without hesitation, never asking her how she felt about it. She was the Avatar, but she was also a human being, and human beings had the right to feel moments of doubt. Yet those moments of doubt were always ignored by her teachers (except for Katara).

And now, all of the sudden, Kenai came in and listened to what she had to say and put all of his trust in her. It really touched her and she couldn't help but feel reassured by him.

"You really think so?" Korra asked hopefully.

"Not only do I think so, I know so," Kenai responded sincerely.

Korra felt so much better by hearing his words, she just stood there holding his hand before grasping it firmly and smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Not a problem," Kenai reassured.

Both teens stared at each other, both smiling softly. Time seemed to slow down for them. That was until Kenai snapped out of it. "Actually, now that we are here, I want to make you a proposal, Korra."

"Sure, what is it?"

"From what I have seen from your airbending lessons with my uncle, you are not exactly getting any results. But it's not your fault. If anything, the fault relays on Tenzin himself. He started teaching you right away like you were born an air nomad like the kids. I know this because I used to have the same problems you have. That's when I started training by myself to discover how to bend air my way."

Kenai continued. "Also, I've noticed that you have been kept in captivity almost all of your life. I don't know if you have heard this before, but air is supposed to be the element of freedom. Trying to learn about the element of freedom when you have never been truly free is as incorrect as it is stupid."

"That's what I said to Tenzin! He thinks that anything non-airbending related is a distraction," Korra said.

The young airbender agreed. "Yeah, you will have to forgive my uncle. He can get a little carried away when it comes to teaching airbending. However, it's time I get to the point," Kenai said making a pause. "I wanted to ask you if you'd like me to teach you airbending."

"But, but isn't Tenzin supposed to be my teacher?" Korra asked confused.

"Yes, but honestly I don't think he's teaching you the right way. Like I said before, a lot of my bending was self-taught to suit me better. I have a hunch that my style of airbending is gonna fit you a lot more than Tenzin's," Kenai explained. "However, that doesn't mean you'll stop attending uncle's classes. He is your teacher, after all."

Korra was a little hesitant. On one side, the idea of learning airbending with Kenai was certainly tempting. She already had seen his skills firsthand on their spar a couple of days ago and she was not disappointed with what she saw. On the other hand, she wasn't so sure about failing twice in airbending. What if she didn't progress any with Kenai either?

Sensing her hesitation, Kenai smirked. "Did I tell you that we will include regular spars and that I'll actually teach you my martial arts? I just hope that they can compare themselves against uncle Tenzin's meditation classes."

Hesitation? What are you talking about?

"I'M IN!" Korra shouted excitedly. Even if she couldn't learn airbending, there was no way she was going to let the opportunity to spar with Kenai and learn how to move the way he does slip away.

Kenai grinned. "Good to know. We start tomorrow," he said as he suddenly became serious. "You must know that I take my training very serious and I expect you to do the same. Understood?"

The Avatar nodded. Kenai's facial expressions softened once more and started grinning again. "Awesome. Now go get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Sure thing. So, see you in the morning?"

"Well duh, obviously," Kenai said in a mocking tone.

"Oh, right," Korra said sheepishly. They both waved themselves goodbye, looking forward for tomorrow to start their new master-apprentice relationship.

|Air Temple at night|

Korra was currently hiding in a room near the temple's entrance peeping through the window. There were a couple of White Lotus sentries doing their usual guard job. When the guard closer to her started to walk away, she quickly jumped through the window and started running towards the cliff.

Once she was close enough to jump, Korra heard a voice near her.

"Nice night for a swim, huh?"

Korra 'eeped' and started looking for the one who caught her. She looked everywhere but no one showed up.

"Down here, Korra," the voice said.

The Southern Water Tribe girl looked down just to see Kenai in his usual clothes lying on the grass. Instead of looking concerned or angry, he just looked relaxed, almost expecting her.

"Kenai? What are you doing here?" Korra asked worried.

"Oh nothing, just staring at the stars in the sky while preventing you from doing something stupid," Kenai replied calmly as ever.

"What? I wasn't going to do something stupid!"

"Yes, you were. You were going to a Pro-bending match... without me," he finished offended.

Korra was baffled. "Wait, is that it? You're not gonna tell me to stay on the island?"

"Korra, what did I said about the element of freedom?" Kenai said in a lecture kind of voice.

"That it was useless to try to learn about it if I had never been truly free before," Korra responded. At first she was a little confused but she quickly became excited. "Does that mean that you are going to let me go?" she asked with eyes full of hope.

"First thing, don't ask me for permission. You are seventeen years-old and you have the right to make some decisions of your own. Now, do you want to go?"

"Yep."

"Would you be hurting anybody by going?"

"Nope."

"Is it against the law to go to a Pro-bending match?"

"Nope."

"Is it morally incorrect to go to see a Pro-bending match?"

"Nope."

"Would you go on a date with me?"

"Nop... I-I mean yes! I mean... Huhhhh..," Korra said realizing it was a trick question.

Kenai chuckled. "Aaaaawww, you look so cute when you're stuttering," he said teasingly. Before she could give him a well-deserved (in her opinion) smack in his arm, he interrupted her. "Anyways, I think it's about time I introduce you to my friend."

That stopped Korra dead on her tracks. "Who are you talking about? There's no one else in on this island."

Kenai just smirked. "Really now?"

...

"Oh Spirits this is gonna be soooooo cool!" Korra shouted while jumping in delight, excitement, joy, happiness, you name it, when she found out that the friend Kenai was talking about was none other than Sozu, the gigantic Raven Eagle. Not only that, Kenai said that if Sozu liked her, the Raven Eagle will let her ride him as long as Kenai was with her.

"Shhhhhhh, keep it quiet. Sozu despises anything that is being loud near him, especially in his nap time," Kenai said to her while they were making their way to Sozu's bird nest. Said 'bird nest' was basically a normal nest made out of the branches from the trees of the forest. The only thing is that this particular nest was on the ground and its diameter was 10 feet across.

Sozu was sleeping soundly in his nest. The sounds of footsteps, however, awoke him up. He recognized his master's presence right away but the other one was a mystery. Eyes wide open; he looked at Kenai before glaring animalistically at Korra.

"Hey boy, had a good sleep?" Kenai asked his mascot. Sozu just kept glaring at the Avatar, though he was getting calmer by seeing how his master was showing no signs of mistrust towards the girl.

"Alright Korra, come here slowly." Korra obeyed his orders as carefully as she could. This could be her only chance to make the giant Raven Eagle bird like her and she didn't feel like screwing it up. Kenai then grabbed her hand and slowly placed it on Sozu's head. The giant bird seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he walked back abruptly and went to sleep.

"Huh, it seems that he likes you," Kenai commented.

"He does? Doesn't look like it," Korra said in disbelief.

Kenai laughed. "Believe me, if he didn't like you he would be trying to bite your hand right now. He's not the friendliest animal around, but he's the coolest one ever. Isn't that right, buddy? Yes you are. Oh yes you are," he said while talking in a baby tone which made Korra giggle. "Okay Sozu, we're going to the Pro-bending with Korra. You can sleep latter. What do you say?"

Sozu responded with a small high pitch squeak and a glare.

"Oh come on, don't make me look bad in front of Korra. If you let us ride you I promise I'll buy the food from the store you like so much. Please?" Kenai pleaded. Sozu was silent for a moment, then he stood up while squeaking his animal version of 'fine, just hurry up you brat and let me go back to sleep.'

"That's my boy!" Kenai shouted while patting Sozu's back.

"Kenai, did you just talked with Sozu?" Korra asked not believing the whole thing. Sure, she did the same with Naga but it wasn't like she could understand her barks or anything. Kenai acted like he could actually hold a conversation with Sozu.

"Yeah. Ever since I founded him on the island years ago, we sorta' learned how to talk with each other. And let me tell you, he can be quite a bit of a jerk at times."

Sozu heard that last comment and went to bite his owner's hand.

"Ouch! What? It's true!" Kenai said glaring at Sozu, who merely squeaked saying 'serves you right, you little punk.'

"WHAT WAS THAT YOU OVERSIZED POSSUM CHICKEN?!"

Korra had never laughed so hard for so long before.

After ten minutes of arguing and calling names to each other back and forth, Kenai and Sozu stopped the fight for the time being and promised each other that they would continue tomorrow. Kenai then prepared his saddle. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I only have one saddle to ride Sozu. And since he barely knows you, he won't let you sit in front. My advice for you would be to hold on tightly."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by hol-" Korra started to say before Sozu started to propel himself up into the air and flew at medium speed towards the Arena.

Korra's instincts were to immediately hold onto Kenai as hard as she could. When things calmed down, Kenai looked back at her and grinned. "Hey Korra, if you keep having your eyes closed you're gonna miss the show."

Following his advice, Korra opened her eyes. They were flying around so carelessly around like it was no big deal. Seeing Republic City from above was incredible for Korra. She was feeling a new sensation, like she could do anything. All of her worries, including airbending and meditation, were gone. It was intoxicating to say the least.

"This is awesome Kenai. I just feel so..."

"Free?" Kenai guessed. He had the same feeling when he was with Sozu in the air.

"... Yeah, free," Korra finished with a smile. She was unaware she was still holding Kenai tightly, but she was too blown away from the experience to even realize. Kenai also noticed this and considered teasing her, but he decided not to. He would be the first to say he enjoyed to have Korra hugging him.

* * *

|Pro-bending Arena|

After landing in the back of the Arena, both Kenai and Korra thanked Sozu for the ride. Sozu merely scoffed at them and parted for the island.

"Alright, there's this window at the back we can enter. Then we should step in a hall and then turn right. You ready?" Kenai asked.

"Hmm, that's funny," Korra said placing her hands on her hips.

"What's funny?" Kenai asked confused.

The Avatar then glared at her friend and performed the universal gesture of 'are you kidding me?', also known as lifting her right eyebrow. "I just think it's funny how you know this place so well even though you've supposedly never been to a Pro-bending match."

"Who said I've never went to a Pro-bending match?"

"Huuuh, you said it yourself back at the Air Temple."

"I lied," Kenai said with a shrug, which surprised Korra a great deal.

"You did? I thought airbenders weren't supposed to lie."

"So what? Uncle Tenzin said Lin looked 'radiant as usual' when we were at the city's Headquarters. That's what I call one big fat lie if you ask me. So how come he can get away with lying and not me?" Kenai asked with a grin.

Korra chuckled. "Can't argue with that."

"Of course you can't. Now let's go."

Both benders went through the window and started wondering around. Soon enough, they founded themselves in what appeared to be the training room. Korra looked around with enthusiasm when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, what are ye' doing in my gym?" an old man with long white hair and blue eyes asked annoyed.

"Huuuh, I was just looking for a bathroom and I got lost," Korra said trying to save the situation.

The old man wasn't buying it. "Ohhh, I see. The old 'I had to pee' excuse. You know, I'm sick and tired of ye' kids sneaking around without paying. I'm tacking ya' to security!" he said as Korra started to panic.

"There you are guys, I've been looking everywhere for you two!" a boy around Korra's age said while stepping in. He had green eyes, light skin and dark hair. He had this cheery and playful aura coming out of him, quickly gaining Kenai's sympathy. "It's alright Toza, she's with me."

"Yeah, I'm with him," Korra said following the game with a smile.

Kenai looked offended. "What about me?"

The boy looked at him and quickly added. "Oh yeah, he's also with me! So you see, we're together," he said referring to him and Korra. Kenai noticed this and capitalized on it.

"Huuuum, I'm sorry man but I don't really swing that way," the airbender said in the most awkward of tones he could perform.

At first it seemed that he didn't get it, but after a minute he became very nervous. "Wait... No... You got it all wrong... I didn't mean to imply…," he quickly tried to explain himself while Toza looked at him with disgust.

Finally, the old man surrendered. "Ah, I don't care what ye' are! I've got work to do!" he snapped while throwing a towel he had in his hands and walking away.

"Alright guys, this way," the boy said while gesturing Kenai and Korra to follow him.

While walking through the hall, Kenai looked over the guy that saved them. "Hey, thanks for the save back there."

"No problem. Sorry for the little misunderstanding we had. I kinda' ment to say-"

"Don't worry about it, I think I understand you. What's your name?"

"Bolin at your service," he proudly said while holding his hand for a friendly handshake. "What's your name, my fellow stranger?"

"Kenai. Pleasure to meet you, Bolin," Kenai replied while shaking Bolin's hand.

"I'm Korra. Nice to meet you too ," Korra said. Bolin shook her hand as well.

Bolin lead them to a room that had an amazing view of the Arena. You could see everything from there. "What do ya' think? Best seats in the house."

"Wow, this place is even more amazing than I imagined," Korra said in awe. Kenai had to agree with her on that one. From the looks of it, they were in Bolin's team locker room.

"Pssst. Hey Bolin. I told you to stop bringing crazy fangirls here before a match…," another guy said. This other guy had some resemblance to Bolin with a similar skin tone and hair color. However, his eyes were yellowish and his hair was a little spikier, not to mention he had a 'cool, quiet and broody' aura going around him. He looked over to Kenai. "... And fanboys as well, apparently."

Kenai got a little closer to him. "Fanboys? Easy there hotshot, I don't even know what team you guys are," he said carelessly.

Moody didn't payed him attention. "Get them out of here," he said to Bolin.

"Aww, come on Mako! Look, I kinda' promised them that they could stay here. But man, I've got a good feeling! There's something special about them, especially the girl," Bolin replied. He then grabbed Korra and Kenai and placed them near his brother. "Korra, Kenai, I want you to meet my brother Mako."

Korra perked up. "Mako? Wow, I heard you play in the radio-"

"Come on Bolin. We're up," Mako said while passing by them.

"Or I could meet him later," Korra finished looking down.

"Looks like your brother could use a hug," Kenai commented. "Seriously, what's his deal?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. My brother gets really... focused before a match," Bolin said trying to save some of his brother's face. Mako had always been a little too broody for his taste. Still, he loved him and Mako loved him back, and that was good enough for him in his book. "Anyways, it's our turn. Wish me luck, not that I need it," he said while putting on his helmet.

The Avatar giggled. "Good luck. Knock em' out!"

"Get them good, Bolin."

|After the match|

The match was over and Kenai simply had to acknowledge Bolin and Mako's bending skills. They both showed great coordination and reaction time along with accuracy, especially Mako who was alone at the third and final round yet he managed to defeat his opponents keeping himself calm and steady. Yes, the bending brothers were certainly a fearsome duo to face in a Pro-bending match.

However, the waterbender of the team was nothing but dead-weight. Hasook's skills were below average at the very best, letting himself get caught easily by the other team and other stunts like that.

'Ok, he sucks,' Kenai thought after watching the game.

The Fire Ferrets entered the locker room, Bolin being the happiest of all. " Woo Hoo, yes! One more win and we are in the championship tournament! So, what ya' think Korra? Bolin's got some moves huh?"

Korra was just as excited as the earthbender. "What did I think!? What did I think!? That was awesome!" she exclaimed while pulling Bolin over by his collar and pushing him back. She was just as pumped up as the day Tenzin allowed her to stay on the island. Kenai couldn't really blame her. After all, she just got her wish of seeing a Pro-bending match and in one of the best spots the Arena had to offer. Not only that, she had the opportunity to meet an actual Pro-bending team. Kenai wasn't a big fan of the sport, but he could understand Korra's feelings.

Mako was another story. "You did more harm than good out there. You almost cost us the match," the firebender growled at Hasook.

"We won, didn't we?" was his only answer.

"Barely," both Kenai and Mako answered. Hasook then glared at Kenai.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"Not a fan of yours exactly. You should really step it up or you're gonna' end up in the benches for the rest of the games."

"You think you can do better than me?" Hasook challenged Kenai, who simply did not take him seriously.

"I think my pregnant non-bender aunt can do better than you," Kenai retorted making Korra and Bolin laugh.

Hasook just growled at him and stormed off the locker room. "Useless," Mako muttered.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Korra spoke up. "You guys were incredible out there! Especially you Mr. Hat-trick," she said pointing at Mako who once again ignored her.

"Oh, you're still here?" Mako didn't even bother to meet her gaze.

"Oh, you're still a jerk?" Korra retorted, having been fed up of the firebender's attitude towards her. Why was he so cold and unfriendly? He was like Kenai in a way, in terms of acting cool. But in the social department Kenai was leagues above him. "Anyway, I've been immersed in bending my entire life but I've never learned how to move like that. It's like there's a whole new style here. Think you can show me a few tricks?"

"Absolutely!" was Bolin's immediate answer.

"Right now? Come on Bolin," his brother said.

But Bolin wasn't about to pass up the opportunity of spending some more time with Korra. "Just ignore him. Yeah, I can show you the basics. I'm just not sure how my earthbending will translate to your waterbending, but we will figure it out."

Korra smiled smugly. "Won't be a problem. I'm actually an earthbender."

At this point, Kenai already knew what Korra was planning. He just wanted to see the brother's reactions.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume. I was just figuring... with your water tribe get-up... that you were a water tribe... gal," Bolin said half confused.

"Nope, you're right. I'm a waterbender and a firebender."

"What about airbender? Ohhhhh that's right I forgot," Kenai added up. Korra just glared daggers at him with a small but noticeable killing intent coming out of her.

Bolin rubbed his chin. "Hmmmmmm, I'm very confused right now," he admitted.

"You're the Avatar... and I'm an idiot," Mako said in his place.

"Both are true," Korra commented; glad to get a little payback from his behavior before.

'Okay, not exactly the reaction I expected. Oh well, how about Bolin?' Kenai thought as he now looked over to Mako's brother. Bolin's face was priceless. He just kept stuttering 'she's the Avatar!' with both his mouth and eyes wide open. 'That's more like it.' Kenai smirked.

|Training room|

"So, you're friends with the Avatar," Mako commented to Kenai. Both men were sitting on a bench watching Bolin explain some modern earthbending moves to Korra, which unsurprisingly for Kenai she picked them with ease.

"Yeah, we live together at the Air Temple," Kenai replied.

Now Mako was a little more interested. "So you really are Councilman Tenzin's nephew after all," he said.

Kenai glanced at Mako. "Where did you hear that?" he asked with suspicion. A long time ago, Tenzin made Kenai promise to keep the nature of their relationship to themselves. Kenai never really knew why his uncle saw harm in recognize recognizing him as his nephew or even surrogate nephew, but in the end he supposed his uncle must have his reasons, probably to keep one of the very few airbenders alive safe from any possible threat. Whatever it was, Kenai was sure it was for his own good.

What they were not aware of, however, were the gossips going around them. Everyone wondered who was the boy that accompanied the councilman. They supposed he couldn't be his son as they saw no resemblance between him and Tenzin and there had to be a reason why they were always together. Of course, a lot of different gossips tried to be the answers, and the most popular and generally accepted gossip of all was that they were nephew and uncle. It had never been confirmed by any real source, but some people claimed to have overheard them talking to each other and calling one another nephew and uncle.

Mako shrugged. "You hear a lot of things on the streets. One particular gossip of you being nephew of Councilman Tenzin."

"Really? You didn't strike me as the gossip kind of guy. No offense."

"None taken. But is it true?"

For once, Kenai decided to be honest. "Not really. He's more of a surrogate uncle to me. I have been living with him for about tenyears now and I have come to care for him as an uncle, hence the gossip," Kenai said.

Mako nodded in understanding. He then looked at Korra who was unleashing an earthbending combo with two discs that were thrown into the net. "Not bad."

Korra glared at him. "What does it takes to impress this guy?"

"What? I said not bad," Mako defended himself.

"Don't sweat it Korra," Kenai started to say. "I believe our friend Mako here is the kind of man that doesn't talk more than necessary."

The firebender closed his eyes and smirked. "Good to know somebody understands me. Anyways, I'm turning in. You kids have fun. A pleasure to meet you Avatar Korra, Kenai."

"Yeah, a real pleasure," Korra muttered.

"See you around Mako," Kenai decided to say goodbye on his own behalf as well as Korra's.

"See you upstairs bro," Mako said as he took off. 'Huh, I don't know what I can make out of that Korra chick, but at least Kenai seems decent enough.'

"Upstairs? You guys live here?" Korra asked.

"Yup, in the attic. It's nothing fancy, but we have some great views. So back to bending, why don't you throw that combo one more time?"

|Back at the Air Temple|

"So, did you have a good time, Korra?" Kenai asked.

"Let's see. I rode a giant Raven Eagle, saw my first Pro-bending match, met the Fire Ferrets team members and learned some new moves. All in all, I had an amazing time," Korra said with a big smile on her face. She didn't expected things to turn out the way they did, but she was grateful for it. He got to know Bolin and Mako too, though so far only the earthbender proved to be friendly.

"That's good to know. Now remember, we start our training tomorrow after Tenzin's lessons. It will be hard, but also worth it. Ready to take on my lessons?"

"Definitely," Korra responded confident. She wasn't sure what to expect from Kenai's training aside from being tough, but if it was a training that would help her out on her airbending which involved sparring and no meditation, Korra would be more than happy to accept it.

Kenai was satisfied with her response. "Alright. Oh, before I forget, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"And that would be?" Korra asked with curiosity.

"Smile."

...

"Huh? What do you mean by smile?" the Avatar asked in confusion.

Kenai, instead of his characteristic smirk, gave her a warm grin. "Smile, Korra. You should smile more often. It really looks good on you."

Despite not understanding why would he tell her that, Korra giggled with a pink blush on her cheeks. "You-You really mean it?" she asked as she looked into the ground, too nervous to match glances with Kenai.

"Yeah, I do.," Kenai said matching his grin with a wink from his right eye.

Korra experienced a funny feeling inside her stomach. This had to be the first time somebody acknowledged her looks. She was never the kind of girl that would freak over her body; she thought she was average, maybe above average-looking at her best. Not that she cared much about that, considering she never had someone to compare herself back at the South Pole. But for some reason, Kenai did praised her looks and she was not going to deny that she felt like leaping in joy when he told her she was pretty.

"Alright, I'll try to smile more often," Korra said softly with a small smile, still a little flustered.

"That's all I can hope for. Good night Korra," Kenai said as he made his way to his room.

"Yeah, good night," Korra said back while opening her room door. She was confused as why would Kenai say that to her, but decided to ponder about it tomorrow. For now, she had Kenai's words in her head. They made her feel good and that was enough for her right now.

* * *

Review, Follow and/or Favorite at will.

Thanks to **jaimed1968** for beta-reading this chapter.

Peace!


	3. CONFRONTATIONS

CHAPTER 3: TRAINING BEGINS

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Only my OC's)

* * *

Kenai was about to leave his room when he realized he was still wearing his boxers. 'Right, now we have Korra here,' he thought.

The young airbender put on his sweatpants and a coat. He felt slightly confused about himself regarding the words he told Korra last night. Why did he tell her that? He didn't regret saying she was pretty or anything like that, for he was being completely sincere with her. But still, he never expected himself to be that open with Korra. Heck, he didn't even know if he was flirting with her or only complimenting her. The only thing he knew for sure was that he liked to have Korra around. It certainly made his life at the Air Temple more interesting and it was nice to have someone his age to talk to and what not.

'Should I talk with aunt Pema about this?' he wondered. 'At least I know that I definitely shouldn't talk about it with uncle Tenzin. He's gonna flip and start lecturing me about how I'm distracting her from her airbending lessons, especially if he finds out we went to the Arena last night.' Kenai made a pause from his thoughts to laugh a little. 'Then again, I'm just trying to help her my own way. I started sneaking out every once in a while and my airbending turned out to be just fine. Scratch that, it turned out to be mind-blowingly amazing.'

Making his way to the kitchen, he saw that most of the monks were already gone, probably to start their morning duties. He shrugged and started eating his usual breakfast. When he was done, he put on his training gear and left. On his way down to the spinning gates, Kenai saw smoke coming out.

'Oh crap, Korra is getting angry,' Kenai thought as he accelerated his pace.

"That was a two thousand year old historical treasure. What... What is wrong with you!" Kenai heard the voice of his uncle as he got closer. Most of the spinning gates were burnt to ashes while the others that were left weren't in a much better shape. Korra was in the middle of them and she looked dangerously pissed off.

"There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing just like you told me but it isn't sinking in, okay?! It hasn't clicked like you said it would!" was Korra's response to Tenzin.

"Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me-"

"I have been! But you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe the reason I haven't been able to airbend is because YOU are a terrible teacher!" Korra interrupted him before storming out of the training grounds. She was so frustrated she could care less about the whole 'respecting your elders' stuff. Jinora and Ikki went to hug their father while Meelo started freaking out and running around the place.

Kenai followed Korra back to the temple. He expected her to go to her room to cool off.

Instead she went to... Kenai's room?

"Grrr, stupid Tenzin, stupid meditation and stupid airbending!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Her ire was so great that she failed to notice that, instead of going into her room, she went into Kenai's. Both of them were similar as they both were very messy. Korra then started taking off her airbending clothes. "Why does airbending has to be so hard?" Korra asked to herself.

"Am I coming in a bad time?" Kenai asked behind her.

Korra's reaction was priceless.

"What are you doing here? Get out of my room!" Korra yelled at him as hard as she could with her face red as a cherry. Even if Kenai had nothing to do with how her airbending was going, she didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Especially not while she was about to get undressed.

"How about you get out of my room?"

"What are you talking about? This is my..." the Avatar was about to say 'room' when she turned around and noticed that, last time she checked, her room didn't have weights lying on the floor, didn't have books about Raven Eagles on her desk and certainly did not have male underwear in her closet.

Yup, this was awkward alright.

Before Korra could embarrass herself more, Kenai stepped in. "Well, as promised, today you start your airbending lessons with me. Meet me at the other training ground behind the gardens in twenty minutes. Don't be late."

"Look Kenai, I know I said I would train with you but right now it's just not the best of times," Korra said angrily. She just got done getting her lower back kicked hard multiple times by spinning gates. She, the Avatar, the bridge between the Spiritual World and the Physical World, the bender of all four elements and the reincarnation of all the previous Avatars that changed the world for the better, couldn't get past spinning gates, airbend the tiniest of breezes or meditate for more than a minute or two. That thought annoyed her to no end.

But Kenai wouldn't have any of that. "When I told you about my training, I said that I took it very seriously and that I expected you to do the same. Trying to ditch on your first lesson just because you are in a bad mood is not taking it seriously at all. Now go change your clothes back to something comfortable and meet me at the training ground behind the gardens. Twenty minutes. Don't be late," he said in a very serious tone before walking away.

True enough, Kenai was usually a funny, understanding and charming guy. But when it came to training, he became a lot more serious and focused. Tenzin noticed this and was fairly surprised, but he assumed it had something to do with his parents. 'Alright, then I will be the greatest airbender of all time! I'll have this airbending stuff down in a month, then I will be the one teaching you, Master Tenzin!' the voice of the eight year-old Kenai on his first day at the Air Temple echoed in his head every time Tenzin looked at his nephew doing something airbending related.

Korra was taken back by his words. So far, Kenai had always been so laid-back it was strange to see him so serious. Sighing, Korra took off (more like ripped off) her airbender clothes to put on her usual water tribe attire. She could only hope she would get something out of Kenai's training. Maybe she could let out some steam with a spar or two.

|Kenai's training grounds|

"Good to see you made it, Korra. Ready for your first lesson?" Kenai asked while he finished doing push-ups standing on his own hands. Kenai's training ground took place in a less occupied plaza filled with grass and some plants that was abandoned by the caretakers. Not too much, but it had what Kenai needed: space and privacy.

"As ready as I'll ever be," was Korra's moody answer.

"Good. First things first, I'll explain why I think that your time with uncle Tenzin has been unproductive," Kenai commented before taking a deep breath. "The thing that uncle Tenzin fails to realize is that he's expecting you to move and act like an airbender right away. When going through the spinning gates, one should already have a notion of proper airbending movement. Uncle Tenzin skipped that and went straight to the gates. You following?" Korra nodded. It actually made sense.

Kenai continued. "As for your meditation, I've been thinking about how to help you stay still and be patient. I actually had your same problem and to this day I still haven't completely mastered meditation, but at least I'm far better than I was at first. What seems to happen here is similar to your airbending problems. Uncle Tenzin doesn't takes into account that since the start of your Avatar training, meditation was never an aspect that was considered as important as your bending prowess. Again, he's rushing you into things you have never experienced before and expecting you to simply adjust to them naturally."

"Last thing. Uncle Tenzin has succeeded in teaching Meelo, Ikki and Jinora because they are his children and knows how to deal with them. He has been with them all of his life. You, on the other hand, are almost a complete stranger to him. Born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe, you are not adjusted to life here. Why do you think it was harder for Tenzin to teach me airbending in comparison to his son and daughters?"

Korra listened in silence. The explanation was actually pretty valid in her opinion. At least she now knew why airbending was so hard for her. "So, what do we do first?" she asked feeling a bit more confident after hearing Kenai out.

"I decided that we'll begin with learning how to move like an airbender. As you already know, airbending is based on circular, evasive movements. You have to be able to change your direction as fast as needed. But first, you need to know how to move like that. You will do that by practicing some airbending katas I invented some time ago. Ready?"

"Let's do this," Korra said with a small but confident smile.

|2 hours later, inside the Air Temple|

"Okay, everyone here? Pema asked as she made some tea for her family. She then noticed that two certain benders were missing. "Wait, where is Korra and Kenai?"

Tenzin was the one to answer. "Honestly Pema, I am at my wits-end with that girl. I-I don't know how to get through her," he responded with irritation. Korra had to be, by far, the most impatient girl he had ever had to deal with. She was just so stubborn and impulsive that teaching her airbending was almost impossible. He remembered when Kenai was a kid and how he would get angry when he couldn't get a certain airbending lesson, but at least he tried to listen and didn't go on a rampage every time he failed to pass through the spinning gates. Not that he wasn't close to, but still. "As for Kenai, he could be flying around with Sozu for all I know."

"Dear, the best thing you can do right now is to give Korra some space," Pema kindly suggested

"Ikki, Jinora, you must promise me that your teenage years won't be like this," Tenzin said to his daughters. He already had one stubborn girl to look out for. Spirits help him if his two sweeties turned out to behave just like Korra.

Jinora raised an eyebrow. "I will make no such promises."

"Alright Korra, I think we can call it a day," Kenai said to his student. 'It's amazing. She learns things at a very fast pace.' During the two hours of training they had, Kenai showed Korra some basic airbending katas which she had to copy as best as she could. At first, she said that she felt very stiff, not being used to move like that, but after a few minutes of practice she loosened up enough to bear the awkwardness of the movements. The first kata consisted in performing a full-circle around a wooden post while doing certain movements with her arms along with a couple of airbending stances. It took her around twenty minutes to do the whole thing without stopping once.

Next, Kenai threw at his apprentice a series of 'air punches' as he liked to call them. The idea of the exercise for Korra was to evade the blows as quickly as she could while using airbending stances. These stances were made so they could be easily switched in between. When Korra finally fought the urge to hit back, she was capable of dodging most of the blasts and was somewhat getting comfortable with the stances.

Finally, for the rest of the session, Korra and Kenai engaged in a hand-to-hand spar in which Korra was not allowed to fight back, only to dodge or block. This exercise was meant to improve reaction time, airbending stances and self-control. This one had to be the most challenging exercise Kenai had to put her through. She had to fight her instincts that yelled for her to counterattack, but in the end her will prevailed and left Kenai unharmed.

"... (Pant, pant)... That was... (Pant, pant)... Some workout right there..." was the only thing the Avatar managed to say.

Despite she was still far from airbending, Korra enjoyed her class with Kenai a lot more than the ones she had with Tenzin. Instead of having to deal with the gates or with meditation, Kenai was teaching her the previous steps she had to take on before airbending. The thing that caught her attention was that she felt like she was actually making progress. Granted, it was nothing to brag about, but after dealing with her previous lessons with a certain bald monk, feeling like she was closer to airbend was a whole new thing.

"So, what do you think of my training methods? Better than uncle's?" Kenai asked.

After regaining her breath, Korra spoke up. "Way better. It's like you know exactly how to teach me. How come you are better at teaching than Tenzin? Wasn't he supposed to be the master around here?"

"Just because he is an airbending master doesn't mean he's good at teaching. He's a little narrow minded when it comes to airbending. He knows that air is the element of freedom, but I don't think he understands what that means. One of the things being able to airbend means is that you are free to explore and create. Uncle Tenzin never really stepped out of what he was taught by Avatar Aang," Kenai said as he stopped and went into a thinking pose. "And since you are Avatar Aang's reincarnation, it's actually kind of your fault."

"Wow, that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard," Korra deadpanned.

Kenai pretended to be hurt and pouted. "You're such a big meanie sometimes, you know that? Anyways, since this is a special occasion, I believe you deserve a little treat. How does that sound?"

Korra perked up when she heard the word treat. "Really? What kind of treat?"

"Well, I heard the Fire-Ferrets were playing tonight. Interested?"

Did Kenai really have to ask?

|Pro-bending Arena at night|

The Avatar and her airbender friend were currently walking inside the hall towards the locker room. Once they entered, they found Mako and Bolin sitting on a bench looking like kids who didn't get any gifts on their birthdays. "We didn't miss your match, did we? You guys look like you already lost," Korra asked.

"We might as well have," Bolin said, depressed out of his mind.

"Hasook's a no good no show," Mako added bitterly.

Suddenly, one of the tournament administrators opened the door and looked at the incomplete Pro-bending team. "You got two minutes to come out ready to play or you're disqualified," he said before leaving.

"Well, there goes our shot at the tournament and the winnings," Bolin commented.

"Can't you ask one of those guys to take Hasook's place?" Korra asked while pointing to another team who just returned from their game.

"Nah, the rules say you can only compete in one team."

Kenai couldn't help but feel sorry for the brothers. He recognized their hard work and the struggle they had to face every day. Now, all of that seemed to be in vain all because of a loser that gave up on them in the middle of the race. He would gladly try to fill in, but waterbending wasn't exactly Kenai's... forte. That seemed to be Korra's thing.

Wait, Korra's thing?

Of course!

"How about you, Korra?" Kenai asked her.

"Hey, you're right! How about me? I'm a top-notch waterbender if I do say so myself," Korra proposed. This whole thing was certainly unexpected, but in a good way. This was the second time she and Kenai went to see the Fire-Ferrets play, and now she would play with them? Talk about... well... unexpected.

"But, you're the Avatar. Isn't that cheating?" Bolin asked, unsure of the proposal.

"Not if she only uses waterbending," Kenai responded. It made enough sense and the rules of the sport didn't state that the Avatar was not allowed to participate.

"Exactly," Korra said smiling at Kenai, who in return smiled back.

However, the good vibes were gone the moment Mako opened his mouth. "No way. I'd rather forfeit than look like a fool out there."

Korra glared at Mako. "Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence," she said sarcastically. No, really, what was his problem?

"Mako, I'm sorry but if you want to have any chance of winning the tournament, you will have to let Korra play with you," Kenai said while glaring at the firebender. "You're worried that you will look like a fool out there playing with Korra? No offense, but in the eyes of the spectators, you will look like bigger fools by not having a replacement on your team and losing by default."

Before Mako could argue (which wasn't going to happen since he could not deny what Kenai just said), the same administrator from before interrupted his answer.

"Time's up. You're in or out?"

"We're/ They're in," both Korra and Kenai said in unison.

"We are?" Mako asked.

"Yes!" Bolin exclaimed.

"Hey, I didn't agreed to this!" the firebender shouted in an attempt to stop the nonsense going around him. The attempt, however, was not taken seriously.

"You can thank me later," was Korra's only response before changing into her uniform.

Mako simply couldn't believe his luck. First, Hasook leaves the team, and now he had to stick with Korra in order to compete? "This girl is crazy."

"Ohhh trust me Mako, you haven't seen anything yet," Kenai chuckled.

* * *

'Ok, maybe I should have explained Korra some basic rules of Pro-bending before I let her out on a Pro-bending match,' Kenai thought in retrospective.

As soon as the match started, Korra struggled to stay on the game. She was making mistakes that were common knowledge to any athlete or spectator. Kenai could literally feel Mako's frustration all the way from his spot. Things got even worse when she accidentally earthbended one of the attacks coming towards her, exposing herself as the Avatar. Kenai remembered that the White Lotus sentries used to hear the games with their radio, so there was a chance that they might have been discovered. 'Uncle Tenzin is not going to be very happy about this,' he thought.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kenai simply laughed rather loudly when he heard the referee say 'Foul! I... think.' after Korra earthbended. He could only think how Tenzin would feel if he saw her right now.

That was when Kenai saw his uncle walking through the crowd, standing right in front of Korra, who was just knocked away to the water area by the other team.

... Don't you just love coincidences?

|Korra and Tenzin|

Kenai made it just in time to see Korra and her uncle arguing. Tenzin did not look happy at all.

"Hey, uncle!" Kenai shouted as he reached them. Tenzin turned around and glared at his nephew.

"Kenai, are you also part of this nonsense?"

"What nonsense? I'm just showing her what it feels to be like a normal human being. I know you don't like Pro-bending matches and all, but-"

"But nothing! The two of you are going back to the island right now, and that's final," Tenzin said irritated.

"Why? So I can go back to meditate about how much I suck at airbending?" Korra said even more irritated than the son of Aang. "You know, I'm beginning to think there is a reason I haven't been able to learn it. Because maybe, I don't even need it!"

Kenai flinched after hearing those words. 'This is soooo not good.'

"What? That is a ludicrous suggestion! The Avatar needs to learn airbending, it's not optional!" Tenzin all but roared.

"Okay guys, how about we take it easy for a minute? Let's talk about it like reasonable and mature grown-ups, shall we?" Kenai said trying to ease up the situation.

"Not now, Kenai!" both Tenzin and Korra shouted at him at the same time.

Korra faced Tenzin once again. "This is what I need! Modern styles of fighting just like the one Kenai is teaching me!"

"Being the Avatar is not all about fighting! When will you learn... Wait a minute," Tenzin was saying before he realized Korra's words. Now he didn't know with whom he felt angrier at, Korra or Kenai. "Kenai, have you been teaching Korra airbending behind my back?"

"Uncle, I'm aware that you may dislike my way of airbending, but you have to understand. Your teachings methods are simply not the most appropriate for Korra. Maybe if you would let me-"

"I will not hear whatever lecture you may have for me, young man! Your airbending is as misdirected as it can get!" Tenzin snapped at him.

Kenai looked slightly shocked for a second, but then he glared angrily at Tenzin. "You know what? Fine. I'm out of here. See you at the Air Temple, son of Aang." he said as he stormed out of the place, leaving his uncle and Korra behind.

"I have a match to play." Korra said before going into the elevator for the next round.

Tenzin just started to walk away with his mind pondering over Kenai's words and his action that caused them. From the ten years that they have known each other, he had never heard Kenai calling him 'son of Aang'. Even if it wasn't an insult, he felt somewhat hurt. It just made him feel so... distant from one another that it worried him more than he thought it would.

It was known that Tenzin disagreed with Kenai's way of airbending. That much was true. But did he really mean what he just said? After all, there were some things about the way his nephew airbended that were remarkable. Since the beginning of Kenai's meditation lessons, it was clear that he had troubles with it. But he never gave up nor did he let the frustration get the better of him. He kept trying and trying until he finally made some progress. And then there was his dedication to the art he had kept all these years now. Kenai spent nearly all of his time training in order to perfect his airbending skills. Tenzin had never saw before such drive and passion before, it was actually inspiring at some degree.

After thinking over it for a couple of minutes more, he decided to stay and watch Korra play. And then he would have to apologize to Kenai.

When he founded a spot near the exit, he looked over and saw something he did not expected at all.

Korra was moving around the place dodging every attack that was coming to her. But the thing that impressed him the most was the way she moved. She was so light on her feet and looked so calm yet focused at the same time, he felt like he was watching an airbender in motion. The only difference was that she was bending water instead of air. The Avatar kept evading while Mako and Bolin took the chance and started attacking the other team. Soon enough, the Platypus-Bears were exhausted and quickly knocked down from the Arena.

Without even thinking what he was doing, Tenzin cheered for the Fire-Ferrets. "Woo-hoo!" he shouted while pointing at them. Realizing what he just did, he immediately regained his composure and started walking away...

... just to see his nephew grinning from ear to ear.

"Soooo uncle, what do you think about this mockery of the noble tradition of bending again?"

Turning red out of embarrassment, Tenzin started to think of an excuse that would explain his reaction. Needless to say, he was failing monumentally.

"Let's just go see Korra," Kenai said. Tenzin only nodded, relieved by the fact that his nephew wouldn't tease him any more.

* * *

|Air Temple at night|

"Tenzin, I'm really sorry for everything I said. I was really frustrated with myself and I took it out on you," Korra said to her airbending master.

"I think I owe you an apology too. I was trying to teach you about patience, and I ended up losing mine."

Korra looked at Tenzin and smiled hopefully. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course not. By the way, you really looked good out there tonight. You moved just like an airbender."

"Hmmm, I wonder who might have taught her that," a voice was heard behind them. Both Korra and Tenzin turned around and saw Kenai with his usual 'what-did-I-told-you-?' smirk.

Now Tenzin was baffled. "Wait, you were the one that taught her how to move like that?"

"Why yes I was. Looks like my misdirected airbending methods can actually be helpful. Wouldn't you agree uncle?"

Tenzin sighed but didn't try to argue. He deserved it. "I suppose I owe you an apology as well, nephew. Even if I don't particularly like your airbending, I should have never looked down on it. I was so caught up in the difference of our ways that I never noticed the similarities between them. Also, I underestimated your teaching methods, which have proven to be more effective than mines."

"Don't worry uncle. Even if we have different points of view regarding life, you should know I look up to you and respect you a great deal. Never forget that."

The old airbender smiled. He was afraid Kenai would still hold a grudge against him. It looked like he should start giving his nephew's maturity more credit than before. "Apology accepted?" he asked while giving out his hand for a handshake.

Kenai's answer was to extend his own hand, but instead of shaking it with his uncle's, he closed his fingers and made a fist bump while inviting Tenzin over to respond it with his eyes. Tenzin reluctantly accepted the fist bump and returned it. "Now it is," Kenai said.

Watching the interaction, Korra rolled her eyes in amusement. A lot of interesting things happened since she met Kenai back at the South Pole. From being arrested to finally starting her airbending training, from riding a giant Raven Eagle to meeting an actual Pro-bending team, from seeing her very first Pro-bending match to joining the team...

"Oh wait, I forgot to tell you Tenzin. I kinda permanently joined the Fire-Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks. See you guys tomorrow!" Korra shouted as she made her way to her bedroom, only this time she was extremely careful not to mistake her bedroom with Kenai's. She still was a little embarrassed for that stunt earlier, so a second one was 1000% out of the question.

What does Tenzin do at a time like this? The one thing he is the best at. Sighing.

Sensing his frustration, Kenai approached his uncle. "How about a game of Pai Sho to end the night?"

The old airbender glanced at his nephew before smiling. "That would be nice." Both of them had this little thing going on for a couple of years now. Every time they argued and made peace with each other, they would officially end the discussion with a game of Pai Sho. While Kenai was decent enough, he was never very interested in the game itself. But he knew Tenzin enjoy it, and so they would play from one to three matches depending on Tenzin's mood.

"Loser treats the winner with ice cream next time?"

...

Unbeknownst to the airbending duo, a certain water tribe girl was in her room staring at the sky with a dreamy look on her face. She was thinking about all the things that she had done in the last couple of days and all the things that she might or might not do in the near future.

Not to mention, some of her thoughts also included mental images of a certain airbender around her age that also happened to live on the island.

* * *

|Next morning at the Pro-bending Arena, training room|

"What's the big idea with making us train this early in the morning? The morning is evil," Korra whined as she tossed a medicinal ball to Bolin. Much like Kenai, Korra was not a morning person.

"WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE WAS AT THIS HOUR! I COULD VERY WELL BE SLEEPING RIGHT NOW!" Kenai yelled at the top of his lungs from one of the benches nearby. He couldn't believe such treason! Such deceitfulness! And coming from his own student as if that wasn't enough!

Revenge was sworn in the deepest and darkest places of Kenai's sub consciousness.

Korra just smiled sheepishly at her friend. "Sorry Kenai, Tenzin's orders. He told me you had to come with me to everywhere I go in Republic City so I wouldn't get lost."

"THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE? YOU'RE A BIG GIRL, YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF JUST FINE!"

The Avatar felt a little guilty. In part because she knew how much Kenai hated to wake up unless it was necessary and in part because her excuse wasn't completely accurate. Tenzin didn't exactly told her that Kenai had to go with her everywhere she went if she wanted to visit Republic City, that was actually Korra's idea so Tenzin would gave her permission. She really wanted to explore the city more and the only way to do that without making Tenzin angry was with Kenai. What she didn't plan through was Kenai's reaction when she had to wake him up and drag him all the way to the Arena.

She did promise to herself that she would make it up to him... somehow.

"Yeah well, we're the rookies so we get the worst time slots in the gym," Bolin answered.

"And you're the rookiest of us all. We've got to get you up to speed if we wanna' survive in the tournament. Deal with it," Mako said as he threw the ball to Korra unnecessarily hard. However, she was able to catch it.

"You deal with it!" Korra retorted while throwing the ball back to Mako so hard he tripped and landed on his back.

A voice came out of the gym's door. "There are my little hard working street urchins," a man in his forties wearing (debatable) fancy clothes came up and approached the Fire-Ferrets. He then placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. "It's an honor to finally meet ya' Avatar."

"Aaaand you are?" Korra asked with suspicion.

The unidentified man identified himself. "Butakha. I run this whole Pro-bending shebang," he said as he took off his hat in a way to say hello. Next, out of his coat, he took out a stack of yuans. "Here are your winnings from the last match." Mako grinned and was about to put the cash away, but Butakha stopped him. "Not so fast, first you owe me for the Avatar's new gear. Gym and equipment rental last month. Rent on your apartment and personal loan for your groceries." Butakha said, taking bills out of Mako's cash stack until there was no payment at all. Mako glared at his younger brother.

"What? I'm a growing boy," Bolin excused himself while rubbing his belly.

At this point, Kenai was already approaching the group. He couldn't go back to sleep once he was awake, so he might as well know what was going on.

"Oh, one more small business detail. The Fire-Ferrets need to pay a total of 30,000 yuans in order to compete in the tournament," Butakha added.

"30,000 yuans!?" Bolin repeated in shock.

"Sorry kids, but you need to come up with the dough next week or else I'll have no other choice but to kick you out of the tournament," the man said before leaving.

Kenai joined the team. "30,000 yuans? Wow, that's some serious fee."

"You wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account overflowing with gold, would you?" Bolin asked Korra.

"I got nothing," Korra replied as she pulled out her empty pockets. "I never really needed money. I've always had people taking care of me," she said with a happy face, which turned into a confused one when she saw Kenai slapping his forehead.

"Then I wouldn't say you've had nothing," Mako said bitterly while putting the medicinal ball inside a sports bag.

When she realized what she just said to them, she turned to Bolin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Korra trailed off.

"No, it's alright. It's just that, ever since we lost our parents we've been on our own," Bolin said with a hunch of sadness. Even if he was usually happy and cheery like a kid, he couldn't help but feel down when he talked about what he and his brother had to go through.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," the Avatar said in an attempt to excuse herself. 'Why do I always have to say the most inappropriate things?'

"So anyways, how are we supposed to get the 30,000 yuans before the tournament?" Mako asked, hoping that somebody would have an idea that was worth a shot.

A certain airbender stepped in. "Well, I'm no expert in financial subjects but I can tell what I know."

"I'm listening," Mako said looking at Kenai with interest. Kenai looked like the kind of guy who knew what he was talking about.

"The way I look at it, you have about four choices. One would be asking for a loan to a bank, but I don't really think that's likely to happen. You guys are still relatively new to the Pro-bending scene and banks usually only gives loans to teams that are more experienced. Not to mention the interests that they would ask you for the loan when you win. And what would happen if you don't win the tournament? You'd be financially screwed," Kenai started to explain as Mako nodded in understanding.

"Two would be asking for a sponsor. Then again, the chances of getting one for the team are low for the same reason. Sponsors look out for well-known teams instead of new ones. It wouldn't hurt to try, but don't be surprised if they turn down your offer."

"Three would be doing as many jobs as possible before the tournament. I don't think I have to elaborate much on this one. Unless you start doing illegal business, say for the Triads, I don't think you guys can get 30,000 yuans within a week, no matter how many jobs you do. Needless to say, don't get involved with the Triads to get money. If you get caught, you might as well say goodbye to the tournament and to Pro-bending for that matter," Kenai continued. For some reason, he noticed that Mako's eyes narrowed for a second at the mention of working for the Triads.

"Four and the most likely choice we have would be for me to get the money for you."

This caught the attention of everybody. "You? What do you mean you could get the money?" Korra asked.

Kenai elaborated. "Right now, I have about 13,000 yuans saved in my bank account. I could donate 11,000 yuans to the cause, which would leave you with 19,000 yuans left. The rest of the money-"

"13,000 yuans? How do you have so much?" Korra asked in shock. Living in the temple provided food and shelter for Kenai, so having money shouldn't be so important for him.

"Let's say I used to participate in other kind of tournaments that paid good money. Because I had everything I needed in the Air Temple, I decided to save the money I was getting in a bank account so I could use it in times of need. Anyways, I suppose I could get back to compete in those tournaments. If I'm lucky enough I might just get those 19,000 yuans you need. Other than that, I don't know what else to do."

"Thanks Kenai, you really are resourceful," Mako thanked the airbender. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. I always do."

"You're welcome, but you need to tell me as soon as possible if you want my help. Otherwise I might not make it," Kenai said to Mako, who nodded.

"Wait, I got it! How about we have Pabu perform circus tricks? People would pay good money to see that!" Bolin exclaimed as he held the Fire Ferret pet.

Mako looked at his brother clearly annoyed. "Come on Bolin, we need serious ideas."

Bolin was heart-broken. "But I was serious."

"Well, tell us if you find anything. I and Korra are going back to the Air Temple. See you guys later," Kenai said as he started to walk towards the exit.

"Wait! Can we go to explore Republic City first?" Korra asked her 'city guide'.

"Do we have to?" Kenai said looking miserable.

It was then when Korra unleashed her ultimate persuasion weapon. She approached Kenai and looked at him with big sad puppy eyes while pouting. "Pleeeeeeease?"

Kenai didn't even try to fight back. It was useless. He let out a huge sigh that would make Tenzin jealous. "Fine."

"Yesssss!" Korra cheered. "You are the coolest guy ever Kenai!"

"You're darn right I am."

|Streets of Republic City|

Korra and Kenai were currently taking a walk around the streets, looking at the various shops the city had to offer. Now with someone to guide her, Korra was finally enjoying the tour. Kenai showed her the various districts around and explained how to get to them.

While they were walking together, Korra noticed that almost every girl who saw them was glaring profoundly at her, like she was some sort of hated dictator who made their lives miserable. At first, she was oblivious and even asked Kenai why every girl was staring at her with eyes full of anger. His only response was that jealousy may have something to do with it. Korra, being the naive girl she was, didn't get it at first. Were they jealous of her? Why would they be jealous of her?

'Could it be that...?'

Korra gasped at the realization. Those girls were jealous of her because Kenai was walking with her and not them!

She immediately got defensive. As they made small talk, Korra would glare harshly at any lustful and shameless woman who saw them together. 'They better stay away from Kenai,' she mentally growled.

...

'Huh? Why am I so worked up all of a sudden? He's just a good friend, that's all. It's not like we are a couple or anything. I mean sure he's charming, handsome, and funny and I wouldn't mind seeing him shirtless aga... Korra stop drooling damn it! The point is that he's not my boyfriend. I don't even like him like that... Or maybe I do a little?... Ahhh, screw it.'

"Hey Korra, you okay? You look like you're in la-la land," the voice of Kenai brought her back from her mental train of thought.

"Me? Oh yeah, I-I was just thinking about how we are gonna come up with the money for the tournament," Korra said in the most unconvincing way possible.

"Korra... are you... is that drool?" Kenai asked hesitantly. No, seriously, what was she thinking about?

Finally regaining a hold of her senses, Korra quickly whipped off the small trail of saliva that was coming out of her mouth using her wrist. "No I'm not. What makes you say that?" she said trying to avoid looking weird. Kenai just raised an eyebrow. Feeling like changing the subject, Korra approached Kenai. "Hey, back at the gym you said you used to compete in some tournaments right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm kinda' curious, what kind of tournaments were they? I mean, from what you said, they paid a lot of money," Korra asked her friend.

When Korra finished her question, Kenai slowed down. He seemed to be unsure about something. "Korra, we're friends, right?"

"We? Of course we are!" Korra replied. 'Where did that came from?'

"And I can trust you, right?"

"Sure you can, but what does that has to do with anything?"

"Because I'm gonna tell you a secret and I would like you to keep it... well, secret."

If Korra wasn't intrigued before, you can bet she was now. She nodded eagerly.

Walking away from the crowd of people passing by, the benders sat down on a park bench. After Kenai made sure no one was near them, he looked at Korra and started talking. "The tournaments I used to take part in were underground fighting tournaments. People go there and pay to watch fighters go all out on each other. It's kinda like Ba Sing Se's Earth Rumble, but a little more private."

Korra gasped "What? Are you serious?"

Kenai nodded. "Very serious. This tournament is known as 'The Brawl Out' and the point of the whole thing is to show the spectators some of the best fights of their lives. There are almost no regulations whatsoever. I guess the only rules they have are 'try not to kill your opponent' and 'give people a good show'. Aside from that, anything goes."

"But why would you participate in that? Was it for the money or something?"

"Well, I didn't mind getting some money out of it, but that was never the reason I was there. Actually, I discovered that tournament by coincidence. It all started a little more than a year ago..."

|Flashback 1 year ago|

 _Seventeen year-old Kenai was walking through the streets of Republic City at 23:00 PM. He just got done working out back at the Air Temple and he didn't feel like having salad for dinner, so he went out to the big city to find a place where he could have a decent meal._

 _Upon searching for a cheap restaurant, Kenai found a little place called "Rom-Toms". Deciding it was worth a shot, he entered._

 _He spotted an empty table near the entrance. The place was small, but it was comfy and had various decorations on the walls such as pictures, paintings and newspaper articles. It wasn't crowded and most of the clients seemed to be already eating. While Kenai was admiring the place, an old man around his sixties approached him._

 _"Good night young man, welcome to Rom-Tom's. My name is Rom-Tom and I hope you like my humble establishment," he welcomed him with a friendly smile._

 _"Thank you, sir. And yes, I really like how you have the place. So, what kind of food do you serve?" Kenai asked._

 _"About anything, really. I've traveled all across the world learning different cooking recipes. From the most delicate salads of the Air Nomads to the meatiest of meats from the Earth Kingdom, ask and you will receive the best dinner ever," Rom-Tom proclaimed proudly._

 _"Oh, really? I'm looking for something to fill my stomach with, maybe a meat dish. Think you can handle it?" Kenai challenged the cook with a smirk._

 _"Well, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I've been told that I make excellent Komodo sausages with rice," Rom-Tom challenged back with a sly grin of his own._

 _Challenge accepted._

 _"I suppose I'll have to find out if the rumors are true. Komodo sausages with rice, please."_

 _"Right away Mister..."_

 _"Kenai, but don't call me Mister Kenai. Makes me feel old, you know," Kenai chuckled._

 _Rom-Tom chuckled as well. "Sorry, it's the habit. Anyways, I'll bring your order soon." he said as he made his way to the kitchen. "Yanra, one Komodo special!"_

 _"One Komodo special coming!" a voice shouted back from the kitchen. 15 minutes later, a girl around 16 with dark brown hair and green eyes came with a steaming plate which she handed to Kenai. "Alright, here's your order, Kenai. Hope you like it," the waitress said smiling cheerfully._

 _"Thanks. You're Yanra, right?" Kenai asked the girl._

 _"Yup, that's me. I'm the daughter of Rom-Tom."_

 _"Really? Well let's see if what your dad says about these Komodo sausages is true," Kenai said with a grin._

 _Yanra giggled. "Enjoy!" was the last thing she said before returning to the kitchen. When she was gone, Kenai smelled the food, and it was good. Very, very good. He had a feeling Rom-Tom was not kidding, but he needed to try it if he wanted to be sure._

 _10 minutes later..._

 _"Okay, I admit it. It was delicious," Kenai stated after finishing his meal. Now his tummy was full and happy._

 _Before he could pay for the food, a group of thugs entered the place. There were ten men in total. One of them went to the bar and spoke up. "Sup' old timer. Got my money this time?"_

 _"I already told you I don't have any money right now! Especially since you and your little friends come here every week and blackmail me!" Rom-Tom shouted angrily, though it was clear he was scared of them. Yanra quickly went upstairs to hide, but one of the thugs grabbed her arm and held her close._

 _"Hey boss, how bout' we have her as payment? She looks fine."_

 _"Mhhhh, you know that aint'a bad idea at all, Jomu. What'ya say old man? Sounds like a fair trade."_

 _Hearing the proposal, Rom-Tom panicked. "No, please! Take everything you want, just leave my daughter alone!" he pleaded._

 _"Sorry, but I think your daughter should know what it feels to be with a man. Alright boys, let's go," the boss said to his henchmen, who were laughing and cheering._

 _Kenai was not going to accept that. He stood up and blocked the entrance. "If you guys don't want to spend the rest of your lives in a wheelchair, you will leave this place right now and let go off her," the airbender threatened._

 _"Who'd you think you are, boy? Get out'a here before we wreck ya'," the thug identified as Jomu threatened back._

 _"Last warning. You go or I'll make you."_

 _The leader approached Kenai, who firmly stood his ground. They glared at each other for a moment. Suddenly, the man raised a fist covered in fire and attempted to punch Kenai in the face. Kenai immediately ducked and punched him with his left hand. As his opponent bended over, Kenai hit him with his right elbow on the left side of his face, knocking him out._

 _Seeing his boss was out cold, the rest of the thugs attacked the young man all at once._

 _5 minutes later, ten bodies were lying unconscious on the floor._

 _After making sure that no one would stand up fight back anytime soon, Kenai approached the owner of the restaurant. "Sorry for the mess."_

 _Rom-Tom was gawking at him. He just witnessed one boy handling a group of dangerous criminals without even bending, using only his hands and legs to brace himself. What impressed him the most was his bravery and his willingness to get involved in something that didn't concern him. Republic City definitely needed more people like him._

 _Snapping out of his shock, the cook spoke up. "Thank you, Kenai. You saved not only my business, but my daughter as well. You have no idea how grateful I am."_

 _"Th-Thank you Ke-Kenai," Yanra stammered, still a little scared for what almost happened._

 _"Don't worry about it. I couldn't just sit there and watch these clowns take advantage of you. I think you guys should call the police and get these guys arrested. But please, don't tell them I did it. I don't want to get involved in any trouble," Kenai said. Rom-Tom nodded. "So, how much do I owe you for the dinner?"_

 _"Nothing. I can't accept your money after what you just did for us. Forget it."_

 _"Really? Ok then. Thanks for the meal, I'll make sure to visit you guys more often. See ya," Kenai said._

 _"Goodbye Kenai. Thanks again."_

 _Kenai left the restaurant and started walking towards the island. He was feeling tired and sleepy. However, before he could cross the street, a man wearing a hat and a grey coat approached him. "That was quite the show back there. It's not very common to see such a young man being able to put down ten adversaries so fast without bending."_

 _"Hummm, thanks. Yeah, I suppose I can handle myself in a fight. What of it?" Kenai asked the mysterious man with awkwardness._

 _"Oh, nothing. I just find you very skilled in the art of fighting, as well as interesting," was the man's cryptic answer._

 _Now Kenai was starting to get annoyed. "I'm sorry, who are you supposed to be?"_

 _"My name is not important. What is important is the offer I am extending to you."_

 _Kenai looked at him seriously before asking. "What kind of offer?"_

 _The man handed him a piece of paper with an address. "If you wish to fight and get money for doing it, come to this address next week. You seem like a man capable of drawing attention. If you refuse, then I must ask you to not speak of this to anyone. For both our sakes," As he said that, the man walked into an alley and disappeared, leaving a thoughtful Kenai behind._

 _|End of flashback|_

"Woooow," was the only thing Korra managed to say. Just when she thought she was starting to know Kenai, he kept surprising her.

"Anyways, the real reason why I participated was because I needed to find people willing to fight me in order to improve. Since I couldn't do that in the temple, this was the only place I had," Kenai finished explaining.

"Wait, so this 'Brawl Out' thing is illegal?" Korra asked.

"Let's just say it's between legal and illegal," Kenai sheepishly answered while scratching the back of his head. Korra stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Toph Beifong used to be Earth Rumble's champion when she was young and she turned out to be just fine," he defended himself.

"You have an excuse for everything, don't you?" The Avatar asked once more trying to look serious, though Kenai noticed the smile she was holding back.

"One of my many gifts, along with being charming and good-looking," Kenai retorted with a wink.

Korra decided it was time for some teasing. "Is that so? Well it's time I tell you a little secret. You're not half as charming and good-looking as you think you are," she stated with a playful smile.

"And you are the biggest liar I've ever seen." Kenai matched her smile. "It's getting late. We should go now or Sozu is gonna be moody at me for not feeding him."

"Alright, let's go," Korra nodded as the two of them started walking to the Air Temple. On their way to the island, Korra couldn't help but enjoy having Kenai with her, as well as making the other girls jealous.

|Mako and Bolin's apartment|

"Bo, I'm back. Picked up your favorites dumplings," Mako said as he entered his apartment. He was exhausted after spending the day working. "Hey, I got a job at the power plant. Made some decent money while I was at it."

No reply was heard.

"Bolin? You here, bro?" Mako asked. Once again, the room was silent. 'That's weird. Bo usually is here at this time. Where is he?'

Thinking where his brother could possibly be right now, he saw Air Temple Island through a broken window.

Mako smirked. "Looks like the little lovebird is making a house call."

* * *

Aaaaand that was the third chapter of this story. I took the time to rewrite it and correct my grammar/verb mistakes. I'm aware that is one is a little shorter than the other two, but I didn't want to start Bolin's search now because that would've made this chapter a lot longer. Don't worry, I'll start with Bolin's search the next chapter.

Review, Follow and/or Favorite at will.

Thanks to jaimed1968 for beta-reading this chapter.

Peace!


	4. THE REVELATION

CHAPTER 4: THE REVELATION

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

* * *

Korra was currently making her way through the spinning gates. She noticed that ever since she started training with Kenai, the spinning gates exercise was getting easier. No longer did she get caught up in them and now she could actually move without getting hit. She no longer feeling so frustrated over not being able to airbend as of lately. Slowly but surely she was making progress. It was only a matter of time.

"Good, light on your feet!" Ikki shouted at her. As they were waiting for Korra to come out, Kenai came into the scene.

"Hey girls, how are you doing?"

"Hey Kenai!" Ikki and Jinora greeted their cousin.

"I see Korra is getting the hang of it." the airbender commented. He was fairly impressed by Korra's progress, he didn't thought she would get adjusted to the airbending ways so quickly. But it was to be expected. After all, she had the best airbender ever as her teacher. And Kenai wasn't exactly thinking of Tenzin.

"That's because Korra is working really hard lately. I think it's because she's trying to impress you." Jinora said.

Of course, after hearing what her sister just said, Ikki simply had to step in. "Korra is in love with Kenai! Korra is in love with Kenai!"

"Who's in love with who?" a certain water tribe girl asked as she finished going through the gates. Both Jinora and Ikki giggled but said nothing. Korra then turned to face Kenai. "Hey Kenai, how's it going?"

"All good. I see you have the spinning gates exercise down. You should be airbending anytime now." Kenai said with a smile.

"Thanks. I guess I have two good teachers." she responded a little embarrassed.

Jinora spotted a guy coming over. "Oh, he's cute. Korra is that the firebender that drives you crazy?"

Both Kenai and Korra turned around and saw that the cute firebender Jinora was talking about was none other than Mako, who was making his way to them.

Ikki was confused. "Huh, but didn't Korra loved Ken-" before she could finish her question, Ikki and Jinora were earthbended away, courtesy of the Avatar.

"Hey Mako." Korra started to say while trying to act normal, which was a difficult thing to do with both Ikki and Jinora giggling behind her.

"Mako, what's up?" Kenai greeted.

"You guys seen Bolin?" Mako asked rather rudely. He was aware of that but didn't really care. Right now he was looking for his younger brother and didn't have time to be polite.

"Nice seeing you too." Korra muttered loudly, annoyed by her teammate's attitude. "And no, we haven't seen Bolin since training. Why? You think something's wrong?"

The firebender sighed. "I don't know. Bolin has a knack for getting into stupid situations. See you guys later."

"Wait, if Bolin is missing we could help you look for him." Korra offered as she glanced at Kenai. "Right Kenai?"

Kenai shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have anything better to do. Sure, I'll help out."

"Nah, I got it." Mako said as he started to leave. He had enough stress for a day to deal with Republic City's Avatar and Pretty Boy.

Korra grabbed his arm and slightly pulled him back. "Hey cool guy, let us help you. We can take Naga." she said with a smile.

"And I can go with Sozu." Kenai added.

"Who are Naga and Sozu?" Mako asked with curiosity.

Before they responded, Korra and Kenai looked at each other mischievously. "A great tracker and my best friend." both of them answered at the same time as they looked at Mako again.

Poor Mako could only raise his eyebrow.

* * *

"Your best friend is a... Polar Bear Dog. Somehow that makes perfect sense." Mako said as he, Kenai and Korra were ridding Naga through the streets of Republic City.

"I'll take that as a compliment, city boy." Korra retorted sheepishly.

"If you think having Naga as a best friend is strange, wait till' you see Sozu." the airbender of the group said with a smirk. Mako was yet to see the most majestic, proud and awesome creature to ever live.

"You keep talking about this Sozu guy. Who is he anyways?"

Tease mode activated.

"Who said Sozu was a guy?"

Mako was starting to get confused. "Sozu is a girl then?"

"What makes you think that?" Kenai continued to tease. Korra was struggling to hold her laughter.

"Ok, then what is Sozu?" the firebender said annoyed.

"Look up in the sky, Mako." Kenai said, thinking that he had teased him enough for the time being.

Mako did as told and stared at the sky. At first, he saw nothing. But then he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a bird of some kind flying near them. "I get it now, Sozu is a bird." Mako said in realization. "Is it a hawk or something?"

"A Raven Eagle to be exact."

"And what makes him so special?" Mako questioned. Since they left the Air Temple, Kenai wouldn't stop talking about Sozu for some reason.

Kenai widened his smirk. Sozu was very big in size, but because he was so far away it looked like he was a normal bird. "You'll see in due time."

'Why can't I meet normal people for once?' Mako thought sighing inwardly.

After a while, the group arrived at Republic City square. The place had a big statue of Firelord Zuko and had a couple of food stands placed around. "This is Bolin's usual hangout." Mako said as they dismounted Naga. He took a quick look at the place, but found no signs of Bolin. That was when he spotted a group of kids playing around.

"You guys seen my little brother around?" Mako asked. A kid wearing a strange-looking hat spoke up.

"Perhaps. But my memory is a little... foggy. Maybe you could help clear it up?" the kid said as he stuck out his hand. Kenai stared at the kid and couldn't help but notice how much of a rat he resembled.

"You're good Skoochy, I'll give you that. A real pro." Mako said as he pulled a couple of yuans out of his pocket. Before he could give it to the rat kid, Kenai stopped his hand. "What are you doing?" Mako asked the airbender.

"Don't worry, I got this." Kenai responded as he pulled some yuans out of his wallet. "You and Bolin need your money more than I need mine." Mako nodded and kept his yuans, silently thanking him for the act. Kenai handed the money over to 'rat kid'. "Alright rat k- Skoochy, spit it out."

"Yeah, I've seen him." 'Rat kid' answered.

"When?" Mako questioned him.

"About noon."

"What was he doing?"

"He was performing some kind of monkey rat circus and then..." he stopped as he stuck his hand again.

Kenai glared at him as he handed him a few more yuans. 'You're one to talk about rats.' "And then what?"

'Rat kid' leaned over and covered his mouth. "Shady Shin showed up and flashed some serious cash. Bo took off with him in his hotrod. The Triple Threats, The Red Monsoons, the Agni Kai's, all of the Triads are muscling up for something big. Now that's all you're getting out of me." he said before walking away, probably to hide in the sewers or inside a hole to eat cheese.

Mako was looking serious. "Sounds like a turf war is brewin' and Bolin's about to get caught in the middle of it."

"I don't want to question Bolin's judgement or anything, but seriously, who in their right mind would trust a guy called Shady Shin?" Kenai asked out loud. It was like telling a secret to a girl named 'Gossip Guma' and expect her to be quiet.

"Bolin is... a little naive." Mako excused his childish brother.

'A little naive? That's some understatement right there.' Korra thought as she and her two friends hopped on Naga and continued their search. "So where are we headed?"

"Triple Threat Triad HQ. Hopefully Bolin's there and nothing has gone down yet." Mako answered.

"Triple Threat Triad? Me and Kenai beat up some of those thugs when I got in town. But why would Bolin get tangl-" Korra's question was interrupted as Naga freaked out and started chasing something on the street. That something was a Fire Ferret.

"That's Pabu!" Mako exclaimed as he recognized his brother's pet, which was escalating and clenching into a pole for dear life.

Korra tried to calm down her own pet. "No Naga. Pabu is a friend, not a snack." Finally, Naga settled down and allowed Pabu to jump on her back and go to Mako.

"We gotta' hurry."

15 minutes later...

Kenai, Mako and Korra arrived at the T.T.T. HQ.

"Something's not right." Mako started to say as he carefully approached the entrance. "There' usually thugs posted up front. We gotta be cautious."

Apparently, Korra had a different meaning of the word cautious. Before Mako or Kenai could do anything, Korra kicked the doors open, destroying them in the process.

"Wow, real cautious." Kenai commented, but Korra ignored him.

The place was abandoned. There were several chairs and tables around and an almost empty bar. Kenai went to the bar and, after searching for any clue or indication that might tell him anything about Bolin's whereabouts, he found an empty bottle of cheap sake. He smelled the inside of the bottle and noticed that it still smelled like alcohol. One of the things Rom-Tom taught him was that the scent of an empty alcoholic beverage bottle, specially a cheap one, didn't last long once it was opened.

Even if it was cheap, the sake inside the bottle was still strong stuff. No man could possibly drink an entire bottle of that and still be able to think properly. That could only mean that it was shared between 3 to 5 people. 3 to 5 people were usually the number of members of a gang from the Triads.

There was no doubt. People had been here recently.

"Bolin! You in here?" Mako asked. The room was still silent.

However, that silence was broken by the sound of an engine starting. The three of them went outside. In the streets, there were two trucks ready to go along with five men wearing black suits and masks riding motorcycles. The truck on the left was being closed, but not before Mako, Korra and Kenai saw Bolin inside tied up and gagged.

"Bolin!" Mako shouted but it was too late. Both trucks started moving followed by the motorcyclists, who threw two smoke bombs at them. Green smoke appeared, leaving all of the bending trio unable to follow them and coughing.

'Screw it.' Kenai thought. He jumped forward and raised his arms, sending a powerful gust of air that dissipated the smoke.

"Naga!" Korra shouted. Naga appeared and Korra mounted her along with Mako.

"You guys go ahead! I'll go with Sozu!" Kenai shouted at them. Korra nodded and started chasing Bolin's kidnappers.

When Korra and Mako were out of sight, Kenai placed his fingers on his mouth and let out a loud whistle. Moments later, an animalistic squeal was heard in the air as Sozu landed in front of Kenai. Without wasting any second, the airbender mounted the Raven Eagle. "Let's go!"

As they started to fly, Kenai heard loud engine noises in a street not so far away. Following the sounds of motorcycles moving at top speed, Kenai flew as fast as Sozu would let him. It wasn't long before he found Korra and Mako engaging two of the kidnappers. Chi-blockers judging by the way they moved. That could only mean they were Equalists. 'Damn, I still don't know how to exactly win over Chi-blockers. Well, at least I can hold my ground against them.' "Ok Sozu, this is important. I'm gonna land here and you will try to follow those trucks. If you find anything, squeal. If not, return to the Air Temple. Got it?"

'I got it, brat.' Sozu mentally said.

Kenai jumped out of Sozu's back and landed next to where Korra and Mako were fighting the kidnappers. Both of them already had their chi blocked and were at disadvantage. However, the men in black suits were caught off guard by Kenai, who quickly launched a low kick to the left thigh to one of the enemies, followed by two punches to the chest and finishing off with a rear horse kick. The combination of the attack was enough to send the Equalist back severely damaged, but not knocked out. The other Equalist began his attack on Kenai.

Chi-blockers relied on high speed and accuracy. While Kenai was strong and fast, he was not fast enough to land a direct hit to a well-trained chi-blocker. If he tried, he would let himself open to a chi-blocking move that would not only leave his bending useless, but his body as well. So instead of going for a direct hit, he had to dodge and wait for an opening he could take advantage of.

However, they quickly took off throwing another pair of smoke bombs. Before anyone could react, both of the chi-blockers were gone.

The airbender groaned. He hoped Sozu was still following the Equalists from a safe distance. Not that Sozu couldn't take care of himself or anything, but if they discovered him they might try to chase him. And that would leave nothing but more trouble for the search party. Kenai turned around and helped both Mako and Korra to get up. "Are you guys ok?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, I think so." Korra responded. She suddenly felt something odd; it was like her bending felt awkward. Trying to figure out what was happening to her, she punched the air in a firebending attempt. Nothing happened. "I can't bend." Korra started to say while she tried another time with the same results. Now she was freaking out. "I can't bend!"

"Calm down, it will wear off. Those guys were chi-blockers. Amon's henchmen." Mako said calming her. She felt more relieved knowing that the effects were temporary.

After hearing the word 'Amon', Korra had a flashback of her first day in Republic City. She remembered how she encountered an Equalist protest, one who had multiple fliers with the picture of a man named Amon. "Amon? That anti-bending guy with the mask?"

"Yeah. He's the leader of the Equalists."

"But what would they want with the Triple Threats?" Kenai asked Mako.

He shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it can't be good." he said before placing his hand on his face out of frustration. "I can't believe Bolin got himself into this mess!"

Kenai placed his left hand on Mako's right shoulder. "Don't worry Mako. We are going to find him no matter what."

"That's right. Nothing is going to stop us from finding him." Korra said imitating Kenai's act. Mako lowered his hand, still wearing an unsure expression.

* * *

|2 hours later|

"We've been out all night. No signs of him." Korra said. They had been looking for Bolin for about two hours, but it was no use. The Equalists could be anywhere in such a big city like this one.

"We have to keep looking." Mako replied stubbornly. "But where?"

After thinking for a while, the Avatar gasped. "I have an idea!"

Kenai looked at her suspiciously. "You do?"

Korra glared at him. "Yes, I do." she said before turning Naga around.

|Republic City's Central Park|

"The first day I got into town I ran into an Equalist protestor over there." Korra explained as she took a sit on a water fountain. Naga came and started drinking the water from the fountain with Pabu. She was exhausted.

"You think they'll know where Bolin is?" Mako asked.

"It's our only lead right now."

And so, the three friends lay down on the soft grass the park had to offer. Mako was leaning on a tree while Kora and Kenai were leaning their backs on Naga, who was sleeping soundly. After a moment of silence, Mako recalled something. "Hey Kenai, when we were chasing those motorcyclists you said you would go with that Sozu bird of yours. Care to explain?"

"Well, it might sound hard to believe, but Sozu isn't a normal Raven Eagle. He is one of the last species of an ancient breed were common Raven Eagles come from. He's an Alpha Raven Eagle." Kenai explained as Mako and Korra were listening to him with great interest. "Alpha Raven Eagles look the same as normal Raven Eagles, with the exception that they are a lot bigger and smarter. I found Sozu in the Air Temple years ago, and he has been my loyal companion and closest friend ever since."

Now Mako was really surprised. "Wow, well that's something alright. But that still doesn't answer my question."

The young airbender smirked. "You see, because Sozu is a great deal bigger than most birds, I can ride him. We sorta' bonded since we met each other and he eventually allowed me to fly with him. That's how I got to you so fast back when we were fighting those chi-blockers."

"That's amazing." Mako said sincerely. He would have never thought that Republic City's Pretty Boy was the owner of an almost extinct bird species. Then, another memory came into his head. "Are you an airbender?"

Kenai was mildly surprised by the question. He figured Mako saw when he airbended away the green smoke from the bombs of the chi-blockers. After letting out a sigh, he responded. "Yeah, I am."

Mako was stunned. The nephew of Councilman Tenzin was also an airbender? He rubbed his temples. This was simply too much for him. This had to be the craziest day of his life. Was it too much to ask for a small break?

Now it was the Avatar's time for questioning Kenai. "Hey Kenai, when we were fighting those chi-blockers you never got caught by them. How did you do it?" Korra asked her friend. While she was on the ground with Mako, she saw Kenai going toe-to-toe with those Equalists without even bending. On the other hand, she and Mako got their butts handed to them in a matter of seconds.

Turning his head, Kenai faced Korra. "I learned how to fight without my bending. If you depend on your bending too much, you could be in disadvantage when going against someone who knows how to counter it." he explained.

Korra nodded. She had never thought about fighting without her bending before. Kinda' hard to do when you are the Avatar. Korra then faced Mako. "So, why is Bolin running around with the Triple Threats Triad anyway?"

The firebender moved his head avoiding Korra's eyes. "Well, we... used to do some work for them back in the day." Mako said awkwardly.

'Now I get it. That's why he looked a little strange when I told him they shouldn't work for the Triads to get the money for the tournament.' Kenai thought.

"What!? Are you some kind of criminal!?" the water tribe girl asked/shouted.

"No, you don't know what you're talking about." Mako replied offended. "I just ran numbers for them and stuff. We were orphans out on the streets. I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother."

"I'm sorry. It must have been really hard." Korra said feeling guilty. "Can I... ask what happened to your parents?"

Hearing the question, Kenai couldn't stop himself and facepalmed as hard as he could. He knew Korra could be a tiny bit socially-awkward at times. Not that he could blame her. After all, she spent her whole life away without having the chance to meet people her age because of the Avatar training. However, it was only common sense NOT to ask an orphan what happened to his parents.

Mako sighed. "They were mugged by a firebender. He cut them down right in front of me. I was eight when that happened."

"Mako..."

Mako pulled his scarf up, covering his mouth. "Bolin's the only family I have left. If anything happens to him..."

"Nothing will happen to him Mako." Kenai interrupted. "I promise."

After a while, the group decided it was time to get some sleep. None of them moved from their sitting spots. However, Korra did make sure to leave some space between her and Kenai.

* * *

|Republic City Central Park in the morning|

With the light of the sun hitting his face, Mako woke up. Korra and Kenai were still asleep, but they looked like they were going to wake up anytime soon.

It was the way they were sleeping, however, what amused Mako.

Korra was sleeping with her resting right on Kenai's left side of his chest while her right hand was placed on his right side. Both their left legs were intertwined with one another. Kenai had his right hand behind his head while his left hand was hugging Korra's waist, keeping her close to him.

"Morning guys." Mako said as Korra and Kenai slowly opened their eyes. "Did the two of you slept well?" he asked, unable to keep a straight face.

Kenai was the first to realize what had happened during their sleep. "I know I did." he replied with a wide grin.

Slowly opening her eyes, Korra finally woke up. She felt well-rested, and very comfortable for some reason. Her left hand grasped something strange. It felt like... leather? And what was this warm thing that was holding her by her hip? And why did her left leg felt so heavy?

And why was Kenai so close to her?

"Getting a little bold, are we Korra?" Kenai asked teasingly.

That was when Korra finally realized what was happening. "D'aaaaaaaah!" she shrieked while crawling away from the airbender.

"You know Korra, I managed to sleep very well cuddling with you. How about we try it some other time when we go back to the island?" Kenai continued to tease with a wink.

"Sh-Shut up you pervert!" Korra angrily shouted while her face was getting red.

"If you want to talk about perverts, just remember you were the one getting undressed in my room the other day."

Defying the very human nature itself, Korra's face got even redder. "That was an accident!" she roared. At this point, Mako was laughing loudly while rubbing his stomach. Even if it was a serious situation they were in, seeing Korra so embarrassed and angry was plain funny.

The teasing would have kept going if it wasn't for an extremely annoying loud voice that interrupted Kenai's retort. "Equality now! Equality now! We want Equality now!"

Mako, Kenai and Korra turned around to see an Equalist protestor holding a megaphone and screaming at the top of his lungs. "That's the guy." Korra said while managing to fight off the blush on her face.

As they made their way to him, the protestant kept ranting about equality and to fight back. "Non-benders of Republic City, Amon calls you to action! Take back your city! It's time for the-" he stopped when he saw Korra approaching. He gasped. "It's you again! You cannot silence me Avatar!"

Korra was about to take the megaphone away from him, but Kenai was faster. Before the protestant could react, his megaphone was taken away from him by the airbender, who threw it hard to the ground. The megaphone was shattered into pieces.

"Spirits, you have the most annoying voice I have ever heard." Kenai commented. Mako and Korra silently agreed with their friend.

"Look, what a surprise! A group of benders taking advantage of-" the protestant started to say but Korra interrupted him.

"Shut your yapper and listen up! My friend was kidnapped by some chi-blockers, where did they take him?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Oh, I think you do." Korra said. She then earthbended the table the protestant was standing on. The table was sent flying into the air and all the flyers were scattered on the ground.

Mako grabbed one and read what it said. "Witness the Revelation tonight at 9 o'clock." he said before looking at the protestant questionably. "What's this Revelation thing?"

The protestant glared at Mako. "Nothing that concerns the likes of you three!"

Korra grabbed the protestant by the collar of his jacket and lifted him up the ground. "You better believe it concerns the likes of us. Spill it!"

"N-No one knows what the Revelation is! And I have no idea what happened to your friend, but if he's a bender then he'll get what's coming to him."

"Where is this Revelation happening?" Kenai asked.

Unfortunately, a security officer saw what was happening. "Hey, what's going on over there?"

The protestant spoke up. "The Avatar is oppressing us! Help!"

"Let's scram." Korra said before starting to run. Mako and Kenai took a few flyers with them before leaving the scene.

* * *

|Republic City's Train Station|

The search party went to the Train Station to properly think what to do next. Once they made sure no one was following or observing them, they sat on a bench beneath the train's bridge.

"Why didn't the Equalist put a location on these?" Korra asked. The flyers they took with them told what was going to happen and when, but not where.

"Probably because they don't want just anyone coming over to their big Revelation, whatever that is." Mako deducted.

Kenai noticed something. The back of the flyers were different from one another. Instead of being plain white or something, they had some shapes in them. Even more, the back of one of the flyers sported a red dot. He spoke up his doubts. "Hey look, the back of these flyers are different from one another. In fact, they almost look like-"

"A puzzle?" Korra interjected.

"Yeah, like a map!" Mako said as he took four different flyers and slapped them to a city map that was drawn for the use of the train. After a few seconds, the figure of the flyers matched the one on the city map, revealing the location. "Bingo. That must be where it's going down."

Kenai nodded. "In that case, we should get ready. I propose we should separate for now and meet again near the entrance of the place to avoid looking suspicious. Also, we should definitely wear a disguise. We have no idea who might show up to this Revelation, so maybe somebody will recognize us if we go like this. Especially you two, taking into consideration that you are the Avatar and you are an uprising Pro-bending player."

Both of them nodded.

|Revelation place at night|

Walking towards the location, Kenai made sure to act normal and stay quiet. He was wearing his usual attire with now an old black robe to cover his jacket. Also, he wrapped some bandages around his head, covering his left eye and his forehead. If anyone asked, he'd say he was assaulted by a firebender from the Triads and that he lost his eye to him. Now, he had a reason to cover his face as well as a reason to assist the Revelation.

He met Korra and Mako, who were standing next to a building, both fairly well disguised.

"This is the place." Mako said as he and Korra put on a hat. Kenai lifted his hood up in return.

As they reached the entrance, Kenai noticed that a guard was standing near the door. Everyone who wanted to go inside pulled out a piece of paper, an invitation if the airbender was right, before the guard let them in. Realizing that they still were far enough to avoid being noticed, Kenai stopped Mako and Korra. "Wait."

"What is it?" Korra asked.

"It looks like you need to show an invitation to enter the place." Kenai responded as he took out some of the Equalists flyers he brought with him and handed them to Mako and Korra. "And if I'm not mistaken, these should be the invitations."

Another idea got into Kenai's head. "Also, we shouldn't go all of us at once. I'll go first and then you two go about 5 minutes later. Got it?"

"Got it." the two of them said.

"Good." Kenai said as he started to walk towards the entrance.

When Kenai got closer, he was stopped by the guard. "Halt. Where is your invitation?"

Kenai handed the guard a flyer. "This what ya' mean?" he said with a fake rough voice.

The guard nodded. "The Revelation is upon us, my brother." he said, taking a step to his left and opening the door for him. The disguised airbender thanked him and walked in.

A few minutes later, the three benders regrouped and watched in awe at the sheer number of people who were attending the Revelation. There were thousands and thousands.

"I knew a lot of people hated benders, but I've never seen so many in one place." Mako commented.

Bolin's search party walked downstairs and blended among the crowd. They looked for Bolin everywhere, but there were no signs of him. Suddenly, the lights of the stage were turned on, illuminating the entire place. A voice was heard from the roof. "Please welcome your hero, your savior, Amon!" the voice shouted as the crowd started roaring and cheering passionately at the entrance of the Equalist leader. Smoke appeared out of the stage, and when it dissipated, a man wearing a mask with three chi-blockers on both his sides was standing at the middle of it. It was Amon.

When the crowd settled down, Amon approached the microphone and started his speech. "My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, me and my family lived in a small farm. We weren't rich and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for a firebender that extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man. But when that happened, that firebender took my family from me. And then, he took my face. I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since."

The crowd gasped and started whispering about the evil of bending.

Amon continued. "As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived to Republic City." he said as the crowd booed at the mention of the Avatar. "And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong. The only thing that bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era. But that is about to change."

'I gotta hand it to you, Amon. If anything, you know how to tell a good speech.' Kenai thought.

"I know what you've been wondering: What is the Revelation? You are about to get your answer. Since the beginning of time, the Spirits have been guardians of our world. And they have spoken to me. They said the Avatar has failed humanity." Hearing what he just said, Korra's face tensed and her eye began to twitch. Kenai noticed this and grabbed Korra's hand in an attempt to calm her. She grabbed Kenai's hand and squeezed it hard in anger. "That is why the Spirits have chosen me to start a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality... The power to take someone's bending away, permanently."

Korra's eyes widened. "That's impossible! There's no way!" she whispered to Kenai.

"That guy is insane." Mako whispered as well.

However, Kenai was not so sure. Over the years, people have achieved things considered impossible before. Toph Beifong's invention of metalbending was a perfect example. Even if the statement sounded ludicrous, Amon was a complete mystery. And Kenai knew for a fact that a lot of impossible things that turned out to be possible started with being that, a mystery.

"Now, I believe a demonstration is in order. Please welcome 'Lightning Bolt' Zolt, leader of the Triple Threat Triad." Amon said as a couple of chi-blockers entered the stage with a stranded man wearing expensive clothing. "One of the most notorious criminals in Republic City."

The crowd booed hard and loud. "Ahhh, boo yourselves!" was the only thing the leader of the Triad could say. Along with Zolt, other members of the Triple Threat came along tied with ropes.

And Bolin was one of them.

"There's Bolin." Korra said as she started to walk, but she was stopped by Mako.

"Wait, we can't fight them all. We need to be smart about this."

"Then come up with a game plan, team captain." Korra responded harshly.

Amon spoke again. "Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing non-benders. But his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now, in the interest of fairness, I will give Zolt a chance to fight to keep his bending." he said as one of the chi-blockers untied his ropes.

"You're gonna regret doing that, pal!" Zolt shouted as he fired a couple of fireballs. Amon dodged them with ease, getting closer and closer by every step. Zolt then threw a lightning ray, but Amon simply ducked and quickly grabbed his hand to evade the attack. Before the Triple Threat Triad leader could react, he was forced to his knees with Amon behind him and started losing control of his bending. Amon then placed his thumb on Zolt's forehead. After a minute, Amon released the man. Zolt threw a punch in an attempt to bend fire against the Equalist leader, but nothing happened. "What... What did you do to me?"

"Your firebending is gone. Forever." was Amon answer.

The crowd went wild, clearly amazed by their savior's power. Kenai looked at Korra and she had a face of not only surprise, but fear as well.

"The era of bending is over. A new era of equality has begun!" Amon shouted and the crowd cheered in victory.

Snapping out of her shock, Korra faced Mako. "Any ideas yet?"

"I think so. See those machines?" Mako said while pointing a couple of can-like machines. "They're powered by water and steam. If you guys can create some cover I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing. Then we get out of here."

"Works for me." Korra responded.

"Me too." Kenai said. Before Mako could go, the airbender grabbed the firebender's shoulder. "Be careful out there."

"Good luck, Mako." the Avatar said as well.

Mako thanked both of them and went to the stage. Korra and Kenai moved away from the crowd and entered a room full of engines. "That's the machine we're looking for." Kenai said as he pointed his finger at a machine that had some valves. They both started to open the valves, letting out some steam out of the machine. Everything was going according to the plan.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" a voice said. Korra and Kenai turned around and saw the guard from the entrance staring at them questionably.

"Is there a problem, my brother?" Korra asked awkwardly.

"Yes, there is. I'll ask one more time. What are you two doing here?"

"Hummmm, looking for... the bathroom?"

Apparently, the guard didn't buy the old 'I had to pee' excuse. He grabbed a two-handed tool and tried to strike Korra with it. Korra quickly stepped back as the guard tried to do the same with Kenai. The airbender's reflexes allowed him to evade the attack. Just as the guard finished his attempt, Kenai jumped towards the enemy and punched him right in the eye. The force behind the punch was enough to leave the guard momentarily stunned. Korra took the chance and threw him right into the machine, knocking him out. The machine started malfunctioning, and now steam was coming out of everywhere. "Thanks, that should be enough." Korra said sarcastically.

Kenai airbended the steam while Korra waterbended it. With one good hit, both of the benders were able make a hole in the wall. The steam passed through the hole and started to cloud the stage. "Alright, we did our part. Now Mako has to grab Bolin and get out of here." Kenai said as he removed the bandages from his head.

"I think I know a way out. Come on, follow me." Korra said as she was about to start running.

"Wait, Naga can't carry the four of us. If she tries to, she'll get exhausted and the Equalists will catch us. You go with Mako and Bolin, I'll catch you later." Kenai argued. They already went through a lot of trouble in order to save Bolin and Kenai wouldn't allow this rescue to be in vain.

"What? Are you sure?" Korra asked concerned. She knew that Kenai was right about Naga, but she still didn't want to leave him.

The airbender sighed. "Yeah, I am. Don't worry about me, just get Mako, Bolin and yourself out of here, ok?"

Korra was silent for a moment. "Fine." she said hesitatingly. "Just... be safe, alright?"

Seeing Korra so worried surprised Kenai. He had to admit she looked cute when she was unsure like that. He placed both hands on Korra's shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye. "Hey, don't worry. I promise I'll be safe. Just trust me, ok?" he said with a reassuring smile. Korra looked at him with her mouth slightly opened, but then she smiled back and nodded.

"That's my girl." Kenai said with a wink. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Korra found her cheeks sporting a small shade of pink. She would've never imagined Kenai calling her his 'girl'.

The sound of a small explosion near them made Kenai look back. He could hear chi-blockers coming their way. "Alright, gotta' go. See you at the Air Temple." Kenai said before running away.

* * *

|Air Temple|

Tenzin was close to suffer an emotional breakdown. Neither Korra nor Kenai had been seen since yesterday and they were still yet to be found. He was currently assembling a search party with the White Lotus sentries to go look for the Avatar and his nephew. While discussing the arrangements of the search party, Tenzin saw Korra walking towards him.

"Thank goodness. I was just about to send a search party. Are you alright?" Tenzin asked concerned. Korra didn't responded, she just stood there avoiding his gaze. The old airbender saw fear in her eyes. "Korra, what happened? Did you find your friend?"

"Yes, but..." Korra started to say. "I was in an Equalist rally tonight. I saw Amon."

"What?"

"He can take people's bending for good."

The son of Aang couldn't believe what he just heard. "That's... That's impossible. Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability."

"But I saw him do it." Korra said with all the honesty she could muster.

Tenzin stared at her. The way she looked and the way she talked could only mean one thing. "I believe you. I don't know how Amon has achieved this power, but that means that the Revolution is more dangerous than ever. No bender is safe." he said. After saying those last words, he remembered his family. Pemma, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Kenai...

'Wait a minute.'

"Korra, where is Kenai?"

Korra was not expecting that question. "What? What do you mean where is Kenai? He's not here?"

"No, we supposed you two were together. You... You don't know where he is?"

Now Korra was panicking. Why wasn't he here? Did something happen to him? Was he caught by Amon? The mere thought of Amon capturing Kenai was enough to make her tremble. 'No, I can't think like that. He told me he'd be alright and I trust him. But what if he-'

"Korra, uncle!"

Both of them turned around and saw Kenai coming their way. He was completely soaked.

"Kenai!" Both Korra and Tenzin shouted as they approached him.

"Hey uncle. Korra you alright?" Kenai asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Korra answered, but Kenai could tell she was lying. He remembered her face when Amon took away the bending of Zolt and he knew she was afraid of sharing the same fate. Now she was just using a mask of false courage. He wanted to talk about it, but right now it wasn't the best of times to discuss. Poor Kenai just got done running from one side of Republic City to another and having to swim from the docks to the island, all of that without stopping once to regain his breath. His legs were killing him.

"Good to know. Uncle, did Korra told you about..." Kenai trailed off.

Tenzin nodded. "Yes, she did."

"Then you know what that means."

"I do."

* * *

|Korra's room|

"...After I take your bending away, you will be nothing..."

"Aaaaaaaah!" Korra violently woke up. It happened again. The nightmares of Amon taking away her bending.

"Korra!" Kenai shouted while kicking the door of her room open. He heard the screams all the way from his room and feared for the worst. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah I'm ok. Just a stupid nightmare, that's all." Korra replied trying to sound confident. She also took a good look to Kenai, who was wearing nothing but long shorts that covered his knees.

Kenai decided that this was the perfect opportunity to discuss Korra's fears. "That stupid nightmare was about Amon, am I right?" he said after taking a seat next to Korra.

Korra looked at Kenai in shock and gasped. 'How does he know?'

The airbender elaborated. "You know, there is nothing wrong with being scared. All you have to-"

"I am not scared! What makes you think that!?" she snapped. After realizing what she just did, Korra started to feel guilty. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Don't worry. But you do realize you just confirmed to me that Amon has you messed up, right?"

The Avatar didn't know how to respond to that, so she just turned her head and refused to see Kenai. She would never admit to Kenai that Amon had her worried. Not even to herself.

Kenai sighed and stood up. "Look, all I'm telling you is that, whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm here for you. Just think about it ok?"

"Listen Kenai, I appreciate that you're trying to help me, but there's simply nothing to talk about." Korra responded as she looked at Kenai once more.

"If you say so. Good night, Korra." Kenai said.

"Good night, Kenai."

Before leaving the room, Kenai turned around and smirked at Korra. "I have an idea. How about we snuggle like the last time? That might help you sleep."

Oh yes. Even in a situation like this, Kenai couldn't resist the urge to tease her.

Korra looked dangerously angry. But before she could unleash her fury at Kenai, he was already gone. The Avatar huffed out of frustration and tried to sleep again. She really wanted to smack Kenai hard for saying what he just said.

Even if the idea of having Kenai's arms around her was tempting.

|Air Temple at night|

Like usual, Kenai spent his day exercising. However, no matter how hard he trained, he couldn't focus. All that was in his head was Korra. It was obvious that she was scared of Amon, he could tell just by looking at her eyes. But she was so stubborn that it was impossible for him to help her. People could do stupid things when they were scared, and that was exactly what Kenai feared for Korra.

The other thing that was in his head was Amon. He witnessed his power first hand and was impressed. Also, the amount of followers he had was growing every day, not to mention he also had a private army of experienced chi-blockers at his disposal. More than ever now, Kenai had to make sure his bending nature stayed a mystery to the ones whose intentions weren't clear. If Amon discovered him, he would never be safe. Currently, there was a total of five airbenders without counting Korra. It wasn't like the world could afford the loss of one of the lasts airbenders, otherwise the extinction of airbending would be even closer.

'I don't know what Amon is planning, but he better stay the hell away from Korra.' Kenai thought as he made his way to dinner.

As the Air Nomad tradition dictated, Tenzin said his prayers. "We are thankful for this delicious food, for happiness, for compassion and-"

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" a man said as he walked inside the room. Said man seemed to be a native of a water tribe judging by his clothes and physical appearance.

"This is my home, Tarrlok. We are about to eat dinner." Tenzin said, frowning at the man.

'Tarrlok? So that's the council guy uncle Tenzin always talks about.' Kenai thought. 'Well, he does kinda give me the impression of being a pompous jerk. But I shouldn't judge people just by their looks. Who knows? Maybe uncle was exaggerating when he talked about him.'

"Good, because I am absolutely famished. Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?" Tarrlok asked, already knowing the answer.

'Ok, he's one pompous jerk alright.' "Maybe, but did you know that airbenders can turn away an impolite guest no matter how hungry they are?" Kenai said.

Tarrlok glared at him. "Excuse me, but who are you supposed to be?"

"Who am I doesn't matters. What matters is why are you here." Kenai responded with a glare of his own.

Sensing the tension between the two, Tenzin spoke up. "I suppose you can stay." Pema gave her husband a dirty look, folding her arms in clear disapproval. Tenzin shrugged as if saying 'what do you expect me to do?'

The councilmen made his way to Korra. "Ahhh, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honor. I am councilman Tarrlok, representative of the Northern Water Tribe."

Korra stood up. "Nice to meet you." she said as they both bowed before sitting.

As soon as Tarrlok sited, Ikki approached him. "Why do you have three ponytails? And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird."

Tarrlok's eye twitched. "Well aren't you... precocious." He then faced Korra. "So, I have been reading all about you in the papers. Infiltrating Amon's rally? Now that took some real initiative."

'What is this guy up to?' Kenai thought with a frown. He didn't trust that man at all. There was something odd about him.

"Oh, thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in this city that is happy I'm here." Korra responded.

"Republic City is much better off now that you're here." Tarrlok continued.

Thankfully for Kenai, his uncle spoke up their doubts for the two of them. "Enough with the flattering, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?"

"Patience Tenzin, I'm getting to that. As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force that will strike at the heart of the revolution. And I want you to join me."

"Really? Korra asked in surprise.

Tenzin followed. "What?"

The Northern Water Tribe councilman explained himself. "I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly. Someone who is fearless in the face of danger. And that someone... is you." he said, finishing his overdramatic performance.

Korra looked unsure, and she really was. Even if the idea of bringing the Equalists down was tempting, thinking about confronting Amon directly was unsettling. Before the rally she would've probably said yes, but now...

"Join your task force? Sorry, I can't."

Her answer surprised not only Tarrlok and Tenzin, but Kenai as well. He silently released a breath he didn't know he was holding, thanking the Spirits that Korra still had some common sense in her.

"I... must admit that I'm... rather surprised. I thought you would jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon." Tarrlok said.

"Me too." Tenzin muttered.

"I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now, I'll just focus on that." the Avatar explained calmly. Kenai didn't buy it. He was sure it had something to do with her nightmares with Amon and what she saw at the rally. But the most important thing was that she refused to join Tarrlok, which both Kenai and Tenzin thought it was a smart choice.

However, Tarrlok was not one to give up so easily. "That's why this opportunity is perfect. You would get 'on-the-job' experience while performing your Avatar duty for Republic City."

"Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to go." Tenzin said with finality.

Tarrlok smiled in resignation and stood up. "Very well. But I'm not giving up on you just yet. You'll be hearing from me soon. It has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra." he said with a bow. Then his eyes met Kenai's gaze. "Young man."

"Councilman." Kenai responded to his 'goodbyes' with a nod. He would have to keep an eye on that guy.

As Tarrlok leaved the room, Ikki decided to say her goodbyes as well. "Bye-bye ponytail man!"

|Next morning|

Kenai finished feeding Sozu and was wandering around the temple. He was thinking about how to get Korra to talk about her fears. But how? She would just say that she wasn't scared of anything or anyone. If he kept pressing her, Korra would get angry at him and storm off, making it even harder for Kenai to help her. He thought about talking with Tenzin first, but he would probably tell him to stay close to her and keep him informed of her mood. Pema would be a good person to talk about it, but he feared Korra would become furious with him should she ever find out.

'Guess I'm on my own in this one.' Kenai thought. He spotted Korra sitting on some stairs outside the temple along with Naga. She appeared to be in deep thought.

'Here goes nothing.' "Hey Korra."

Korra looked up. "Hey there." she responded without much energy.

The airbender took a sit next to her. "You know, I've noticed that you haven't been yourself lately. Something bothering you?"

"Nah, I'm just a little stressed right now. You don't have to worry about me." Korra responded.

"But I do worry about you. What is it that's stressing you?"

"It's just the whole airbending thing and now Tarrlok wants me to join his task force, it's a little too much right now." Korra said with a sigh.

Kenai nodded. "Is that all?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

"You sure? Is there nothing else that could be-"

"Look Kenai, just drop it." Korra cut him off rudely.

Kenai narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Just drop it, ok? I don't want to talk about it. Can you please just stop?" Korra asked pleadingly.

"... Fine. I just don't like seeing you like that. I care about you." Kenai said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Korra gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Hello there, fellow teammate and fellow non-teammate." the voice of Bolin was heard. True enough, Bolin was approaching them with his hands behind his back along with Pabu on his shoulders.

Kenai smiled. "Yo Bolin, nice to see you."

"Hey Bolin." Korra greeted as she rubbed Naga's belly.

"Missed you at practice this week." Bolin said as he made his way to his friends.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Korra responded.

Bolin shrugged. "Nah, it's alright. We're probably out of the tournament anyway. Unless some money miraculously drops from the sky by tomorrow." he said as his tone changed from dismissing to slightly annoyed.

The airbender raised an eyebrow. "So Pabu's circus tricks didn't work? I thought you said people would pay good money to see it. Maybe Pabu is not as amazing as you said he was." he said teasingly.

The earthbender looked slightly offended. "That's not Pabu's fault! People just don't recognize greatness when they see it!" he exclaimed. His Fire Ferret mascot started growling at Kenai. "Don't mind him, Pabu. Kenai doesn't know what he's talking about." Bolin said calming his pet. "Anyways, the reason I came by was to give you this. Tada!" he said as he revealed what he was hiding behind his back. A rose with a wrapped up cupcake.

"Wow, thanks." Korra said as he took them. "But what's this for?"

"Ah, I can't remember now. Oh yeah, now I remember! You saved me from Amon!" Bolin exclaimed.

"Oh that. It was no big deal." Korra said dismissingly.

"No big deal, are you serious? I was totally freaking out when he was coming at me with his creepy mask all 'I'm gonna take away your bending forever'. I mean, that was scary stuff. I still can't sleep well." Bolin exclaimed.

Kenai cringed. 'Damn it, Bolin.' he thought. Korra paled slightly at the earthbender's words. Kenai saw that and slowly grabbed Korra's hand in an attempt to calm her. Korra didn't reject his hand, but didn't grasp it either. Her hand was numb. Deciding to stop Bolin from messing Korra any further, Kenai spoke up. "Hey Bolin, did you know I also took part on your rescue? I was practically the search party captain."

"Of course I know! And for that you will also be rewarded... when I figure out with what." Bolin said sheepishly.

"So Korra gets a rose AND a cupcake and I get nothing?" Kenai asked with a fake pout. Of course, Bolin couldn't tell.

"Hummmm... Oh, I got it!" the earthbender exclaimed. He was about to give Kenai a reward so special it was almost out of this world. He grabbed Pabu and placed it on Kenai's lap. "My dear Kenai, as a reward for saving me from the evil hands of the Equalists, I shall let you befriend Pabu!"

Needless to say, Kenai sweat dropped. "Ooooooookay?" That wasn't exactly what he would call a 'proper reward' per say, but he didn't want Bolin to feel sad so he made the best of the unexpected turn of events. "So, little guy. What do you say? Wanna be friends?" Kenai asked the Fire Ferret as he gently scratched the back of Pabu's head. Pabu enjoyed the treat and climbed up Kenai's shoulder so he could lick his right cheek. The airbender laughed. "Looks like he does."

"Delivery for Avatar Korra." an unknown old lady said. She had a basket full of goodies with her which she placed on the ground next to Korra. "Tarrlok sends his compliments and urges you to reconsider his offer."

"Tell him I haven't changed my mind." Korra responded rather annoyed. The old lady bowed and took off.

Bolin placed his fingers in his chin. "Who's this Tarrlok guy?" he asked before changing his facial expression to an angrier one. "Is he bothering you? Huh? Cuz' I could have a word with him. Let him know a thing or two and what not."

"The feelings' mutual Bolin, believe me." Kenai said with a frown. Tarrlok was beginning to bother him more than he expected. Especially since Korra was the one he was dealing with.

Korra chuckled. "No, it's not like that. He's just some old guy who works with Tenzin in the council."

"Oh good, good, that sounds better. I like that better." Bolin said. He wasn't so sure about having a word with him now.

|5 days later, Air Temple at night|

It was official. Tarrlok was pushing it BIG TIME. Ever since Korra refused to join him, the councilman basically bombarded her with gifts, which grew more extravagant as they continued to come. He even gave her a Satomobile, which was rather pointless seeing that they lived in an island. But the thing was that he kept trying to get her to join his task force and Kenai was getting angrier at him. At this point, Kenai couldn't care less if Tarrlok was a councilman or not. He was not trustworthy.

"Avatar Korra, I have something for you."

Kenai turned around and saw the same old lady that brought Tarrlok's gifts. Before Kenai could face her, Korra jumped down from her sitting spot. "It doesn't matter how many gifts Tarrlok sends, I'm not joining his task force!" she shouted before kicking her away.

"It's not a gift, it's an invitation." the woman quickly said as she held a letter.

"To what?" Korra questioned.

"Tarrlok is throwing a gala in your honor. All of Republic City's movers and shakers will be there. The councilman humbly request your attendance." she explained.

Kenai jumped in. "Hey Korra, this could be the perfect opportunity to make it clear that you will not join his task force."

Korra looked thoughtful for a minute. "Tell Tarrlok that I'll go... as long as I can bring somebody." she finished as her eyes subtly glanced at Kenai. The woman nodded and left.

"Soooo, who's the lucky guy you're going with?" Kenai asked amused.

"Well, I know I haven't exactly asked, but-"

"Alright, I'll go with you." Kenai interrupted her.

"R-Really?" Korra asked in disbelief.

Kenai smiled gently. "Sure. I'd like to hang out with you without having to train or run from Equalists. So yeah, count me in."

For the first time since the rally, Korra felt genuinely happy. Kenai always seemed pleased to spent time with her, so long as it wasn't early in the morning. She was nervous about the gala, but with him at her side, things always felt easier to deal with. It wasn't a date or anything, it was more like a friend accompanying another friend, but it still felt nice. Besides, now she could always brag about how she was going to a high-class party with the most good-looking boy in Republic City.

* * *

|Republic City gala|

"Wow, I can't believe this is all for me." Korra said in awe.

The gala took place in Republic City's Qua-Yung Club. The club, named after its founder, was only used in the most important of events and it provided all of the needs of the richest men and women attending the gala, such as expensive drinks, overly fancy of foods and more waiters than one could count at their disposal. The place was big and full of glamorous decorations. Because this was her first attending to a 'high society' event, Korra supposed she shouldn't go with her usual clothes. Instead, she wore a simple, yet elegant dark-blue water tribe dress.

"And I can't believe how good you look in that dress." Kenai complimented her. He had never seen her wearing a dress before and she looked great.

Korra giggled and blushed faintly. "Thanks Kenai. You don't look so bad yourself."

True enough, Kenai did look handsome. His attire consisted in the same pants and boots, a rolled up white shirt that covered his elbows with the first two buttons undone. The shirt was covered by his unzipped jacket and a couple of black wristbands. He also wore a blue necklace with the kanji for 'strength' on one side and the kanji for 'will' on the other. His shirt was tucked out, giving a sense of a more informal clothing fashion. Long story short, he looked dashing and he knew it.

"I'm not sure what Tarrlok is plotting, but keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it." Tenzin warned.

Just as Tenzin finished talking, Tarrlok showed up. "I am so glad you could make it, Avatar Korra. If you excuse us, the city waits its hero." Kenai decided to keep an eye on Korra and Tarrlok, but for the time being he would give the place a little tour.

As he wandered around, Kenai saw Tarrlok introducing Korra to some of Republic City's most influential figures. One of them caught his attention. It was a man with grey hair and glasses. If he wasn't mistaken, that man was Hiroshi Sato, founder and owner of Sato Industries. But what really caught his attention was that Mako, along with Bolin and a beautiful girl, were there talking to Korra.

'What are these guys doing here? I mean it's great, but I'm not following. Well, I suppose I'll have to figure it out.' Kenai thought with a grin, making his way towards his friends.

"Yo, guys!" Kenai exclaimed.

"Hey Kenai, good to see you." Mako said with an uncharacteristic smile. He and Kenai shared a handshake while Bolin and Kenai fist bumped.

The old man approached Kenai. "Hello, young man. You seem to know Mako and Bolin. My name is Hiroshi Sato and this is my daughter Asami. May I ask who you are?"

Kenai smiled. "Kenai. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sato."

Hiroshi laughed. "Please, just call me Hiroshi."

"Will do, Hiroshi." Kenai grinned. He then faced Asami and turned on his friendly charm. "You're Asami, right? It's a pleasure to meet you." he said with a ravishing smile, lifting his hand for a formal handshake.

Asami smiled back and returned the handshake. "Nice to meet you too." she said. Asami then noticed the way Korra looked at Kenai. "Excuse me, but are you by any chance Korra's boyfriend?"

Korra looked shocked and turned red. "What? No! Kenai's not my boyfriend. He's just my... friend." she explained awkwardly.

"Wow, that was a little harsh Korra. But no, I'm not his boyfriend. I'm not that lucky." Kenai said as he watched Korra blush a little harder. Asami giggled at the action. "Ok, now it's your turn. Are you by any chance Mako's girlfriend?"

Both Asami and Mako blushed. "Well, I guess you could say that..." she said.

"So... how did the two of you met?" Korra asked.

Bolin spoke up. "Asami run him over with a motorcycle."

"What? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. More than fine, actually. Mr. Sato agreed to sponsor our team. We're back in the game!" Mako said excitedly.

"Isn't that great!?" Bolin piped up.

"Yeah, terrific." Korra muttered. Her eyes trailed off. Kenai saw who she was looking at. It was a certain person Kenai hoped he'd never see again.

'Granny is back.' Kenai thought with a mental groan.

"Chief Beifong, I believe you and the Avatar have already met." Tarrlok said as Lin approached with a full glare on Korra.

Lin started speaking. "Just because this city's throwing you a party, don't think you're someone special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this."

Kenai approached Lin and went straight into her wrinkled face. "And you'd be wise to back off now, Lin." he said deadly serious.

Chief Beifong didn't expect to run into Kenai, but kept her angry face on. "What do you want, brat? You want me to beat your teeth out?"

The airbender smirked and slowly raised his arms with his palms open in a defying gesture. "Go for it, granny."

Everyone except Korra was surprised. Lin was known for her temper and her skills, and now Kenai was taunting her. If it wasn't because of the situation she was in, Chief Beifong would have gladly kicked the crap out of that disrespectful little punk. However, that would only give her more paperwork to do and she would have to deal with Tenzin. At the end, she just 'hmpfed' and left.

After a while, Tarrlok presented Korra to the reporters who were ready to make questions. This didn't made sense to Kenai. Reporters should be waiting outside the club, like they always did. If they were inside, that was because the host let them in. And the host of the party was...

'Tarrlok.' Kenai mentally growled. Oh he so was going to have a talk with him.

"Avatar Korra!" a random reporter started to say. "You witness Amon take away people's bending first hand. How serious of a threat does he is to the innocent citizens of Republic City?"

"I think he presents a real problem." Korra responded after clearing her throat.

"Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?"

"Well... I-"

"Why are you walking away from this fight?"

"What? I've never backed away from anything in my life!"

"You promised to serve this city, are you going back on that promise now?"

"Do you think Pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?"

"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?"

"Are you afraid of Amon?"

Kenai gulped. 'Uh-oh.'

"I am not afraid of anybody!" Korra shouted. "If this city needs me, then... I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon."

Tarrlok smirked. "There's your headline, folks!" he said as he looped an arm around Korra's shoulder, a perfect pose for the cameramen's to photograph. Tenzin closed his eyes in sadness while Kenai was breathing hard out of anger.

'That bastard.'

Once all the reporters had left, Kenai followed Tarrlok to the bathroom. He found him washing his hands with a big triumphant smile on his face.

"You set Korra up, didn't you?" Kenai asked furious.

The councilman had the audacity to feign ignorance. "I must say I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me. You made those reporters ask Korra those questions so you could make her nervous and get her to join you. Your gifts didn't work, so you came up with this."

Tarrlok laughed and kept his smile on. "Well, what can you do? Reporters nowadays can be quite... persuasive." he said as he walked pass Kenai by his side. Kenai immediately grabbed him by the collar of his blue suit and slammed him hard into the wall.

"I'm gonna say this just once. Something happens to Korra, and there will be no task force, no bender, no Spirit that will save you from me." Kenai said before dropping Tarrlok and leaving the bathroom.

The little incident didn't affect Tarrlok. He now had Korra on her side and his plan was going perfect.

However, something in the eyes of that boy told him he was not bluffing at all. He would have to keep an eye on him.

A week had passed since Korra joined the task force. She had been spending less and less time in the Air Temple, and her absence was noticed almost instantly. No more airbending training, no more Pro-bending, just the task force.

Tonight, she had a press conference about her current progress on the campaign against the Revolution.

"Avatar Korra has bravely answered the call. With the two of us leading the charge, Republic City has nothing to fear from Amon and the Equalists." Tarrlok said as the conference began.

"Question for the Avatar! Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?"

"You want to know why? Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward! Amon, I challenge you to a duel. No task force, no chi-blockers. Just the two of us at midnight at Avatar Aang's Memorial Island. Let's cut the chase and settle this, if you're man enough face me." Korra challenged before walking away.

* * *

|Air Temple|

"SHE WHAT!?" Kenai asked/roared at his aunt. He just couldn't believe how stupid Korra was!

"Please Kenai, you have to stop her! Who knows what Amon will do to her." Pema pleaded to her nephew.

"Where is she now?" Kenai asked as he made his way to Sozu's nest along with Pema. He needed a fast ride to catch her on time.

"I think she's in the docks of the city. Tenzin already went to talk to her, but I don't think she will listen to him."

Kenai nodded. When he approached Sozu, the Raven-Eagle could already sense Kenai's tension. That meant there was no time for jokes. 'What's the matter, brat?' Sozu asked.

"We need to go Republic City fast. I'll explain later." was the only thing Kenai said to him as they started flying.

Along the way, Kenai was thinking about Korra and her decision to challenge Amon publicly. Needless to say, he was mad at her. This happened because Korra was too proud to admit she was scared. He understood she couldn't announce it to everybody in Republic City. After all, she was the Avatar and she was expected to be brave and to take action. The thing he was angry about was that she couldn't bring herself to admit it to him. Instead, she decided to put on a mask of security to hide her fear and go all out against the one that terrified her. Once again, this situation confirmed Kenai that people made stupid decisions when they were scared.

Before they landed on the docks, Sozu talked to Kenai. 'Hey brat, there are a couple of unknown humans there. Are you sure it's wise to let them see me?'

"It's not very wise, but this is an emergency." Kenai replied.

Finally, Kenai reached the docks. He saw Korra was ready to go on a boat as Tenzin and Tarrlok argued.

"This is all your doing!" Tenzin shouted at Tarrlok.

"I tried to talk her out of it too, but she's made up her mind." Tarrlok defended himself.

Just before Korra could leave, Kenai reached her. "Korra, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to face Amon once and for all, what else?" Korra replied angrily.

"Do you even know what you're up against? You have no idea what Amon is planning to do! I know you're scared but this is not-"

"I AM NOT SCARED!" Korra shouted at the top of her lungs.

"YES, YOU ARE!" Kenai shouted back even harder. He had enough of her attitude. "In fact, you're not just scared, you're terrified! But the problem is that you are far too proud, stubborn and immature to admit it! And because of that, you made a ridiculous decision!"

"What part of saving Republic City from the Equalists is ridiculous!?"

"Facing Amon all by yourself when you don't know what he's going to do is ridiculous! Actually, it's not just ridiculous, it's downright idiotic!"

Korra just stood there in silence. "You don't know what you're talking about." she muttered.

Kenai couldn't take it anymore. "You know what? Do whatever you want. It's obvious that you don't give a damn about the people who care about you." he said before leaving with Sozu.

The Avatar left as well, waterbending her way to the Avatar Aang's Memorial Island. As she was reaching her destination, Korra was pondering about the things Kenai had just told her. She had never seen Kenai so angry before. It really made her sad, but there was no turning back now. She was going to fight and she didn't want anything distracting her.

* * *

|Avatar Aang's Memorial Island|

1 hour had passed since midnight and Amon was nowhere to be seen.

"I guess you're a no-show, Amon. Who's scared now?" Korra thought out loud as she stood up and started to leave.

When she was near the exit, Korra suddenly felt something in her legs and tripped. She looked down and saw a whip coming from the shadows. Korra was pulled over by the whip into the darkness. She burnt the whip by firebending with her feet and quickly stood up. There were a total of twenty chi-blockers surrounding her with glowing red eyes. Before she could react, two other whips caught her hands and separated them, leaving her with only her feet to defend herself. With the use of her legs, she used earthbending and firebending to keep at bay as many chi-blockers as she could, but then two chi-blockers caught her off guard and started hitting her chi points, leaving her unconscious.

Korra woke up seeing nothing but blurry images. She tried to move, but no part of her body would respond. Some chi-blockers grabbed her arms and forced her to look up at the man standing in front of her.

Amon.

"I received your invitation, young Avatar." he said with a voice so life-less and monotone that Korra began to panic. Amon lifted his right hand and started moving closer to her.

Korra was petrified. It was literally her nightmare coming true. She couldn't do anything but watch how Amon was going to take her bending away. Closing her eyes, she remembered everything that Kenai told her. He was right. She made a terrible mistake and now she was going to pay the price.

"Amon!"

Everyone turned around to see a young man at the entrance. The young man was wearing black pants and boots along with a sleeveless grey jacket. His face had a murderous expression.

"K-Kenai." Korra gasped.

"If you want to take away someone's bending, how about you try taking mine?"

The Equalist leader turned around to inspect the one challenging him. "I see, so the Avatar's boyfriend is here to play hero. Such a shame he won't last long." Amon said as he gestured his chi-blockers to attack. His henchmen started running towards the boy, ready for whatever bending he might try to defend himself with. It didn't matter if he was a firebender, a waterbender or an earthbender. They were specialized to neutralize the ones like him.

What they didn't know was that Kenai was not the kind of bender they expected him to be.

Ten chi-blockers charged in a line formation. He clenched his fists and lowered them near his waist. Once his enemies were close enough, Kenai took a step forward and released a powerful gust of air out of his hands. The chi-blockers were not expecting this kind of attack and were violently pushed back a few meters, smashing themselves into the ground and the pillars around them. Some of them were unconscious and the others were too injured to fight back.

Before the others could take action, Kenai blew a loud whistle. Seconds later, a giant bird entered the place and crashed into the remaining chi-blockers. The poor bastards were so taken by surprise that they couldn't defend themselves against the beast they were up against. Apparently, the Equalist chi-blocking academy didn't include lessons for how to fight an Alpha Raven Eagle. Too bad for them.

When the fight was finished, Amon spoke up. "Mhhh, I must admit you are quite interesting, boy. An airbender capable of neutralizing my henchmen and who also has a unique bird for a pet. Yes, very interesting indeed."

"Unless you want me to obliterate you, you will leave NOW." Kenai said with his voice filled with hatred. That guy dared to hurt Korra, and that enraged him. Even if airbenders were supposed to avoid conflict and search for peace, he would destroy Amon should he take one step closer.

"Is that so?" Amon asked before returning his gaze back to Korra, who was still too weak to stand up on her own. "Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature. Although it would be the simplest thing to take away your bending right now, I won't. You would only become a martyr. Benders of every nation would rally behind your demise. But I assure you, I have a plan. And I'm saving you for the last. Then, you'll get your duel, and I will destroy you." he said before looking at Kenai. "As for you boy, you are one of the last airbenders alive. Taking away yours and your family's bending will mean the end of airbending. But like I said to the Avatar, it is not time for our duel yet. Just know that our battle will be much sooner than the one I will have with your girlfriend. Until then."

Before Kenai could react, Amon threw a smoke bomb to the ground. Kenai dissipated the smoke with his airbending as fast as he could, but Amon was nowhere to be seen.

Kenai approached Korra and held her arms. "Korra, are you ok?"

"You... You came here." Korra stuttered.

"Yeah, I did. Did he hurt you or anything?"

"N-No... But, why?"

The airbender looked at her questionably. "What do you mean by why?"

"W-Why did you came for m-me? You... You were really m-mad at me and I-I thought you... you hated me." she said as her voice was starting to break.

Kenai took a deep breath. "Yes, I was mad at you and I still am. But right now, all I care about is you being safe." he said with finality.

Korra stared at Kenai for a moment before starting to cry. She hugged Kenai as hard as she could and he returned the embrace just as hard. Kenai placed one hand on her back and another on the back of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry." she said between hiccups. "You were right. I am scared. I have been scared ever since the night of the rally. I... I was so terrified with him. I felt... I felt so helpless."

"Hey, don't worry. It's ok to be scared. But you have nothing to fear right now. You're with me. You're safe."

"It's... It's just that I've never felt like this before. I... I don't know what to do." Korra said while sobbing.

Kenai pulled her apart a little so she could see his face. "We'll figure it out together. The only thing you need to know right now is that I'm here with you and I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

After saying those words, Kenai planted a soothing kiss on Korra's forehead before going back to hug her. He didn't know exactly why he did that, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Apparently, the kiss worked as Korra decreased her tremble and whimpering. She needed this. To know that Kenai was there just for her. After what she just went through, the only thing she wanted was to feel safe, to feel protected.

And Kenai was the only one who made her feel that way.

* * *

There you have chapter 4 recorrected. I hope you enjoy it.

Feel free to suggest anything. Tips are always welcomed.

Peace.


	5. ROMANCE AND PRO-BENDING

CHAPTER 5: ROMANCE AND PRO-BENDING

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

* * *

A few days have passed since Korra's meeting with Amon. At first, Korra was still a little shocked about the whole 'almost getting her bending taken away from her' deal, but now she talked about it with Tenzin, Pema and Kenai, especially Kenai. She realized that admitting she was scared was the first step to take in order to overcome her fears. Now she felt a lot more relieved than before.

She decided to take a break from the task force. Instead, she returned to the Fire-Ferrets and started practicing for the tournament. Kenai thought that was a great idea, thinking that some time away from work would release some tension, and he was right. Korra's mood had vastly improved since she started Pro-bending again. Her confidence was up and she was finally returning to her old self. Kenai told Mako and Bolin not to talk to Korra about Amon or the Equalists unless it was completely necessary.

Speaking of Pro-bending, Kenai was currently watching the Fire-Ferrets practice. He was still annoyed by the fact that he had to woke up early in the morning, but he decided not to speak his mind for now.

"It's been great having you in so many back-to-back practices, Korra." Mako commented as he took off his helmet and wiped the sweat out of his forehead.

"It feels good to be back." Korra said, taking off her helmet as well. "Although, Tarrlok isn't too happy about my absence."

"Don't mind him, Korra. You already stated that you need a break. You managed to do a lot of work with him when you were in the task force, so he can't complain. "Kenai said as he made his way to the team.

"Yeah, that's right! You joined the Fire-Ferrets before you joined this task force." Bolin added.

Mako then called his teammates and Kenai for some 'team-time'. When everyone gathered, a most strange thing happened. Bolin looked at Korra and gave her a disturbing and supposedly charming smile. Korra looked Bolin back awkwardly, then turned to see Kenai while giving him an equally disturbing and supposedly flirty smile. Kenai looked at her awkwardly but smiled anyways before turning to Mako with a 'what's going on?' look, one that both shared.

Shrugging off the weirdness of the situation, Mako spoke up. "Alright guys, this night is our first match of the tournament. I know that we haven't been a team for long, but the Fire-Ferrets have never been this good. Are we ready?"

"We're ready!" Bolin and Mako shouted.

"You guys better be." Kenai added. He and the Fire-Ferrets laughed.

"Excuse me, guys." a female voice said. Everyone turned around to see Asami smiling while holding a pair of new uniforms. "You'll need this."

The firebender walked towards Asami. "Hey, Asami."

"Hey, sweetie."

Mako then grabbed one of the uniforms. "These uniforms look great!"

"You look great, champ." Asami responded as they started rubbing each other's noses. Korra looked at Asami and felt jealous. Not because she was with Mako, but because she was in a relationship and she was not.

"Hey, I suppose the Fire-Ferrets number one fan also gets a jacket, right?" Kenai said, gaining the attention of Asami.

"Sorry Kenai, but I am the Fire-Ferrets number one fan, not you." Asami said with a smile as she closed her eyes.

Kenai decided this was a good moment to tease. Asami looked like the kind of girl that could understand his humor. "Really? Prove it, then." he challenged her with a smirk.

Asami placed her fingers in her chin, making a thinking position. "Hmmmm, well I am dating one of the Fire-Ferrets. Sounds good enough for you?" she responded.

"Not at all. I'm living with one of the Fire-Ferrets."

The Sato girl looked confused. Mako didn't tell her Kenai lived with Korra. 'That means...' "Wait a minute, are you telling me you live with Korra?" Asami asked in shock.

"Well, to be exact, Korra is living with me, but yeah." Kenai answered in a 'no big deal' fashion.

After thinking for a while, Asami gave up. "Ok, I don't know how to beat that."

Deciding that Kenai and Asami had enough chit-chat, Mako stepped in. "Ok teammates and number one fan, I'll see you in the match tonight. Asami and I have a lunch date." he said as he grabbed his girlfriend's hand and exited the room, leaving Bolin, Korra and Kenai alone.

"Goodbye guys, have a good time. You know, we'll see ya' when we see ya'." Bolin said to his brother. He then saw Korra grabbing her training bag and thought that this was a great opportunity to make a move. "Sooooo, Korra. There they go, here we are, all alone in the gym..."

Of course, Kenai heard what Bolin was saying and decided to spare him and Korra some awkwardness. "Hey Korra, uncle Tenzin wants us to go to the Air Temple right now. He said we have missed a lot of meditation lessons and that we really have to attend this one. You coming?" he shouted.

"Oh, right! Yeah, the meditation lessons. Sorry Bolin, I gotta' go. See you tonight!" Korra responded as run towards Kenai and exited the building. She was aware that the meditation lessons were a lie, and she was thankful to Kenai for making that up. Bolin was a nice guy, but he was a little too much... well... Bolin for her taste.

"Yeah, see ya'." Bolin muttered. That was unfortunate. But no biggie, he would see her again tonight.

* * *

|Mako and Bolin's apartment|

Bolin was currently trying to calmly (keyword trying) bath Pabu. Meanwhile, Mako was cooking dinner. When Bolin was done cleaning his pet, he turned around to see his brother.

"Sooo Mako, what do you think of Korra in a girlfriend sort of way?" he asked Mako, trying to sound casual about his crush.

"I think she's great. I mean, she's cool, a great athlete, a good Avatar and a good friend. Why?"

"Ohhh nothing, just wondering." Bolin said dismissingly.

Mako stopped cooking and stared at his little brother. "You're not thinking about asking her on a date, are you?" he asked with a frown.

"So what if I am? What's wrong with me being with Korra?" Bolin asked back.

The big brother sighed. "I think it's just a bad idea to date a teammate, especially during the tournament. Keep your head out of the clouds and your priorities straight, ok?" Mako said in an attempt to convince his brother to give up on his idea. He then recalled something he had noticed over the days. "Anyways, I think Korra has a thing going on for Kenai."

The earthbender looked at his big brother in disbelief. "Huh? What do you mean she has a thing going on for Kenai?"

"Exactly that. Sorry to break it up to you, but I think Korra likes Kenai and Kenai likes Korra back. If you ask me, it's just a matter of time before they start dating." Mako responded. Being unsupportive when needed was one of the hardest parts of the big brother job, but he had to do it. Maybe if things were different he might have encouraged Bolin to follow his heart and go for it. Unfortunately, things were not different and he preferred to avoid his brother's heart broke right now before it could get any worse.

However, Bolin was not one to be discouraged so easily. "Korra and Kenai? Mako, that's nonsense! I mean, what does Kenai has that I don't?"

"Bo, do you really want me to tell you?"

"Yes."

"Let's see. He's said to be the most handsome guy in Republic City, he has known Korra longer than either of us, they live together in the Air Temple and he is her airbending teacher."

"You're kidding! Kenai is an airbender?"

Mako nodded. "Yeah, he told me when you got kidnapped and we were looking for you. I can tell they spend a lot of time with each other, so who knows what else they might have been doing."

Bolin heard everything Mako said. It made sense, but that was not enough for him. "So what? Korra and I are perfect for each other. She's strong, I'm strong. She's fun, I'm fun. She's pretty, I'm gorgeous!" he said with conviction. "You know what? I don't care what you think. I'm going to ask her out."

The firebender sighed again. "I just don't want to see you heartbroken, Bo."

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about it. You know what I'm talking about, Pabu. I'm talking about real love." Bolin said while holding his Fire Ferret close to his body. Pabu could only squeak at his owner's antics.

* * *

|Air Temple|

Korra and the airbending kids were in the Air Temple filling the feeders of the lemurs. Jinora, hoping to figure out Korra's feelings towards her cousin, started talking. "So Korra, how are things going on with you and Kenai?"

"Yes, tell us all about the magical romance!" Ikki shouted in excitement.

The question was so out of nowhere Korra had trouble answering. "Wh-What are you guys talking about? There's n-nothing going on between me and Kenai." she stated. In reality, Korra had been wondering about how she felt towards Kenai for the past few days. The problem was that she kept debating herself when she tried to decide whether if she liked him or not. So many questions pondered in her head, and when she answered one, more questions took its place. This had to be one of the so called 'girl-problems' she heard about.

"Then why does your face gets so red when you see him shirtless?" Jinora asked innocently.

"Th-Thats not true!" Korra blurted out. As if on cue, she started blushing.

"Hey look, Korra's face is getting red again!" Ikki shouted.

Before things could get more embarrassing for Korra, Pema stepped in. "Ikki, it's not polite to point out when a person is blushing." she said in a sweet, motherly tone.

"Ok, but why is Korra blushing, mommy?"

Pema chuckled. "Well, that's a normal thing to do when a person thinks about the one he likes."

"But I don't like Kenai. I mean he's a great friend and all but... but..." Korra said as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

Of course, Pema saw right through her. "Ikki, Jinora, can you please leave me and Korra alone for a minute? We need to talk about some things."

The girls eventually left Korra and Pema alone, but not before bickering about 'things being unfair' and 'finding out one way or another'.

When Pema was sure they were alone, she turned to face Korra. "Look Korra, you really need to realize that you like Kenai."

"It's... It's just that I don't know if I like him, Pema." Korra started to say. "Every time I think about it, I get more confused and..."

"Korra, think about all the things you have done with him since you met him. In all of that time, haven't you ever felt different around him? Haven't you ever wished to be more than friends with him?"

Korra took a deep breath and started to remember every special moment she had with Kenai ever since that day in the South Pole.

When she first saw him, she thought he was hot. Plain and simple.

When he explained why he had her back during her argument with Tenzin and the White Lotus, she thought he was thoughtful and funny.

When he said he considered her as a friend and promised he would visit her in the South Pole, she felt very happy and even hugged him.

When she saw him in his boxers and tank top during breakfast, she wished for a minute to see him like that more often.

When she saw him meditating shirtless and sweating, she drooled a bit and acknowledged the fact that he had one rockin' body.

When she told him about her insecurities regarding her airbending training, she felt better when he comforted her.

When he told her she should smile more because it made her look even prettier, she felt joyful.

When she noticed the way girls looked at him when they were taking a walk around Republic City, she felt jealous and a bit possessive over him.

When she and Kenai accidently snuggled that night in the park, she felt embarrassed but secretly enjoyed it.

When Kenai got mad at her before going to face Amon, she felt hurt and sad.

But the most important moment the two of them shared was when Kenai rescued her from Amon that night at Avatar Aang's Memorial Island. She had never felt so scared before, but when Kenai held her close to him and told her he was there with here and that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, she had never felt so secure. Not to mention, when Kenai kissed her forehead, she could feel how her fears disappeared. Of course, she was still scared about Amon, but with Kenai at her side she now believed she could face him.

That was when she realized.

"Okay... I do like him." Korra said with a small smile and a faint blush.

"See? That wasn't so hard." Pema teased.

Korra suddenly felt nervous. "But... What if he doesn't like me? I don't want to lose him." she said with her face down. The thought of losing Kenai scared her big time.

Pema placed her hand on Korra's shoulder. "Korra, I've known Kenai since he was a boy. I know for a fact that if you tell him, he will feel the same way. You just need to let him know."

"You... You think so?" the Avatar asked hopefully.

"I know so." was Pema's answer.

Feeling confident again, Korra jumped out his seat and hugged Pema. "Thank you, Pema." Pema returned the embrace. Korra then leaft the place and went looking for Kenai to ask him out. She was really nervous, but excited at the same time.

...

Kenai was outside the temple drinking a hot cup of tea while reading a book about Raven Eagles. He enjoyed having snow in the island, it really made the place look nice. Usually at this time of the day he would be either flying with Sozu, practicing airbending or hanging out with Korra, but Sozu was too tired to fly, he felt especially lazy this day to train airbending and he hadn't seen Korra since practice. That left him with little to do, so he decided he might as well work out his mind

instead of his body every once in a while and read books. He wasn't a big literature fan, but he did find interesting reading about Raven Eagles. It helps him understand Sozu more.

Just as he was finishing the chapter that explained their longevity, he heard footsteps near him. He looked up and saw Korra approaching him. "Hey Korra."

"Hey Kenai." Korra answered. Kenai noticed that she looked a little strange. A little... hesitant for some reason.

"I haven't seen you since practice this morning. You ready for the match?" Kenai asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready. I really think we have a chance on winning the tournament."

Kenai chuckled. "If you play as good as how you look, then you have this tournament thing already in the bag. Just focus and you'll do great."

Korra blushed at the compliment. "Thanks." 'Ok Korra, this is your chance to let him know.' "Soooo... What are you reading?"

'Damn it!'

"Oh nothing, just some book about Raven Eagles. There's nothing else to do with all of this snow around, so I figured I might as well read something." the airbender replied as he closed the book and took a sip of his tea.

"Mmh, I see." 'Come on Korra, say it!'

"Is there something wrong, Korra? You look a little... well..."

Korra realized how strange she was acting and snapped out of it. "Me? No, I'm fine. It's just that I've been thinking for a while now." she said as she took a seat next to Kenai, who was now paying her full attention.

"Thinking about what?"

Before she began, Korra took a deep breath. "Well, we have known each other for some time now, aaaaand..." she trailed off.

"Aaaaaand?" Kenai asked.

"And I had this idea that... well if you don't mind... It's a little hard to say but... I've been thinking that-" Korra nervously started to say before Kenai interrupted her.

"Korra, are you alr-"

"LookIreallylikeyouandIthoughtweshouldgooutsometime." Korra said all at once, unable to resist the tension that was inside her.

"… Sorry, but what was that?"

Korra took another deep breath and started blushing. "I really like you and I thought we should go out sometime." She mumbled.

The airbender stared at her with surprise for a second, but quickly grinned. "Well it's about time you asked. I was starting to wonder if I was losing my charms or something. Yeah, let's have a date." Kenai said.

The Avatar could not believe what she just heard. "For... For real?"

"Sure. As a matter of fact, I really like you too."

At this point, Korra could barely get a hold of herself. It was too good to be true. "Then, maybe after the match..."

"Don't worry, I already know what we should do." Kenai said as he stood up. "Listen, I really have to go now. I need to take care of some business in the city, but I'll make it to the game. So how about this? You go and win the match, I'll be waiting for you and we'll have a good time together. Deal?"

Korra could only nod with a goofy smile on her face.

"Great, I'll see you there." Kenai said as he started to leave. "But before I go..." he said as he turned around. The next thing he did was to approach Korra and gave her small but tender kiss on the cheek. "For good luck." Kenai said with his trademark wink before leaving.

When he was gone, Korra slowly placed her hand on the spot Kenai kissed her with her mouth wide open. She could feel her face heating up to the point where she could melt all of the snow in the island. After making sure nobody was there to see her, Korra started to run and jump around in complete happiness. 'He said yes! He said yes! I asked Kenai out, and he said yes!' she thought between girly squeals of excitement, something that was very uncharacteristic for her. The more she thought about it, the less she could believe it. It was her first date ever, and she was going with the cutest guy she'd ever met.

Oh, she was so going to win this match. Those poor Rabaroos wouldn't stand a snowball of a chance.

* * *

|Pro-bending Arena|

Kenai was in the locker room watching the Fire-Ferrets game against the Rabaroos. From the start of the match, it was rather clear that it was very one-sided. The Fire-Ferrets were attacking, dodging and countering like there was no tomorrow. Kenai also noticed how pumped up Korra was. She was moving and waterbending so fast that Kenai honestly thought she could have played against the Rabaroos alone and still end the match with a victory for the Fire-Ferrets.

Eventually, the Fire-Ferrets won the match with three consecutive rounds in their favor. The crowd cheered as they made their way back to the locker room, waving goodbye to the spectators.

'I wonder why Korra played so well.' Kenai sarcastically thought with a smirk.

When Mako, Bolin and Korra entered the room, Mako was the first to talk. "Man, that was incredible!" he shouted with unusual joy for someone as broody as himself.

"I know, right? If we keep it up like this we'll win the tournament for sure!" Korra exclaimed excitedly as she took off her helmet. Things couldn't get any better for her. First her team won their first tournament match showing prowess, passion and skill. And now it was time for her date with Kenai.

"The Fire-Ferrets are practically champions already!" Bolin said while pumping his fists in glory.

"Be careful Bolin, this was only our first match. We can't get to confident or it might cost us the tournament." Mako said to the earthbender. "Though I'll admit this is one heck of a start." he said with a smirk. Turning around, he faced Korra. "I gotta' say Korra, you were probably the wildest of us out there. I've never seen you play like that before."

Korra scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Yeah well, I was pretty excited before the game so I kinda' took advantage of that."

"Really? I'm curious about what were you so excited about." Kenai said revealing his presence that had been unnoticed so far due to the team's euphoria for their victory.

"Kenai!" Korra shouted running towards her boyfr... date and hugged him. Normally it would have been embarrassing for her to hug Kenai so tightly in the sight of Mako and Bolin, but she was too excited to care. "Did you see our game?" she asked as she let go.

"Of course I did. You guys were awesome tonight." Kenai congratulated Korra and the bending brothers. "Looks like my little lucky charm was very effective. Wouldn't you agree, Korra?" he asked with a teasing smirk. Korra looked at the ground and started blushing a cute shade of pink.

Bolin heard that last comment. "A lucky charm? Is that why Korra played so good? Because if that's the case, do you think you could give me and Mako one?"

Kenai looked at Korra. Korra looked at Kenai. They hopelessly tried to hold their laughter inside but it was useless and they both knew it. Before the brothers knew what was going on, Kenai and Korra were hysterically laughing. They tried to regain their breath but only more laughter came out of their mouths.

When it finally died down, the Avatar and the airbender wiped their tears as they looked at Mako and Bolin, who were staring at them confused out of their minds. "Believe me Bolin, if I gave you and Mako one of my lucky charms, you would probably never want to see me again."

The male members of the Fire-Ferrets didn't quite know what to make of what just happened, but decided to shrug it off. That was when Asami entered the room.

"Congratulation guys, you were amazing out there!" she said as she hugged Mako, who hugged her back.

"Well well well, if it isn't the Fire-Ferrets number two fan." Kenai said to her with a playful smile.

Asami rolled her eyes. "Oh hush you. You're just jealous because I'm dating one of the Fire-Ferrets and you're not." she jokingly retorted. Kenai may have won one against her, but that wasn't going to happen another time.

"Uhmm, well, about that..." Korra trailed off as she blushed pink one more time.

The Sato Industries heiress stared at them for a minute before letting out a loud gasp. "You guys are dating!?"

"Actually we're going on a date right now." Korra answered.

"Oh Spirits, guys I'm so happy for you!" Asami squealed as she hugged both of them. "Kenai, when did you ask Korra out?"

"I... I kinda asked him out today before the match." Korra answered once again.

Kenai grinned. "Yeah. So Korra, you ready?"

Korra smiled. "Sure, just let me go change and I'm ready." she said as she made her way to the ladies room.

The airbender nodded. As Korra left the room he noticed that Bolin was sitting alone on one of the benches. "Hey Bolin, you alright?" Kenai asked concerned.

When Bolin showed his face, Kenai looked at him and was honestly unnerved. His eye was twitching, he looked paler than usual and he had a twisted, almost psychotic smile on his face. He was breathing heavily and Kenai could have sworn a thick vein grew in his right temple when he addressed him. "Me? I'm fine. I feel perfect. More than perfect. Why do you ask?" he responded with a shaky thumbs up.

"Hummm nothing. Just checking on you." Kenai said as he now faced Mako. "What's going on with Bolin?" he whispered to the firebender.

Mako sighed. "Don't worry about it, I'll talk with him when we get home. You should go meet Korra downstairs. Good luck on your date."

* * *

|Outside the Arena|

Kenai was waiting outside the Arena ready for his date with Korra. He had to admit he was a little anxious, but most of all he was happy. Korra was definitely his type of girl: Strong, pretty and tomboyish. All the other girls he'd met before were too girlish or shallow for his taste, and Korra was neither of those things. He was sure the both of them were going to have a good time on their date.

As he was pondering over random things, he saw Korra coming out of the building. Like he expected, she was wearing her usual water tribe clothes except for the coat she used in the South Pole because of the current weather. When the two were close enough, Kenai took the initiative. "Looking good, Korra. Ready for our date?" he asked as he offered his hand to walk, which she gladly took.

"You bet." Korra replied with a smile. "So, where are we going?"

"We're having dinner at my favorite restaurant. It's not too far from here. Believe me when I tell you they serve the best food in all of Republic City."

"Sounds great." she said as they began to walk.

On the way to the restaurant, Korra and Kenai talked about life in general. Kenai would listen to her and answer with jokes and compliments to her, as well as more serious answers when the topic they were talking about demanded it. Korra found herself enjoying the conversation she was having with Kenai. Up to this point, they had never talked like this. Usually their verbal interactions would be either teasing each other or discussing important things about her. This time however, it was just the two of them talking about whatever they felt like. Idle, but entertaining talk.

When they finally arrived to the restaurant, Korra found out it was none other than Rom-Tom's. She remembered when Kenai told her about this place the night he found out about the 'Brawl-Out' tournament. As they entered, Korra was surprised by how warm and cozy the place was. It wasn't too big nor too small, just the perfect size.

The decorations were nothing fancy, but they certainly were interesting. They were quickly greeted by a waitress who recognized Kenai almost instantly.

"Kenai, it's so good to see you! How long have you been gone?" the waitress asked cheerfully.

"Hey, Yanra. Yeah, I know I've been missing for some time. How are things going?" Kenai asked with a grin.

"Can't really complain." she answered with a shrug before turning to face Korra with a big smile. "Hey, you must be Kenai's date. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thanks." Korra said warmly. She was thankful for not being referred to as the 'almighty Avatar' or something like that. The last thing she wanted right now was to have people surrounding them and interrupting her date. They were both guided to an empty table on the corner of the room where they sat down. Yanra handed them the menus and said she would come back shortly to take their orders.

Kenai looked at Korra and smiled. "So Korra, what do you think of the place so far?"

"I gotta' say, it's really nice. I can see why you like it." Korra responded.

The airbender chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. You know, I'm really happy for doing this. I don't think I can remember the last time we hung out like this. It feels good to just relax for a while."

"Yeah, I definitely needed a break from all this Avatar stuff. Right now, I just wanna' take it easy and have a good time." the Avatar said with a smile.

Yanra came back and took their orders. Korra ordered typical water tribe food while Kenai asked for the Komodo special he was so fond of. The waitress took off and came back 15 minutes later with the food. Now, when Korra tasted her food, she practically moaned in pleasure. When Kenai told her this place served the best food in Republic City, she thought he was exaggerating a bit. But now she realized... that it was an understatement! This had to be the best food she had ever tasted in all of her life, hands down.

20 minutes and 3 bowls of noodles later...

"Ahhhhh, that was the best meal ever!" Korra shouted as she rubbed her belly.

"I told you this place was the best." Kenai said with a smirk. "Do you think you have room for dessert?"

"Mhhhhhhh, that is tempting." Korra responded humorously. Then something caught her eye. "Hey Kenai, what's that guy's deal?" she asked pointing a certain individual.

Kenai turned his head back and saw a guy with two girls, one on each of his arms, followed by two other guys. The guy Korra pointed at had the weirdest haircut Kenai had ever seen in his life, as all of his purple hair was inclined towards the right part of his face. He had pale skin and had a disturbing smile that went along with glaring eyes. All in all, he basically was the living definition of creepy. "I think its Tahno and the Wolfbats, Pro-bending champs for the last three years." Kenai said narrowing his eyes.

"Why is he looking at us?" Korra asked with a dirty face, still looking at Tahno.

"Beats me."

Tahno then made his way to Kenai and Korra, followed by his two nameless teammates. Instead of talking right away, he stood there just smirking in a way that could unnerve anyone just by looking at him. After a minute of awkward silence, Kenai decided to figure out what did that guy wanted.

"Is there a reason why are you staring at us like that or are you just plain weird?"

The purple-haired weirdo chuckled a bit before starting to talk. "Well well well, if it isn't the Fire-Ferrets chick and her boyfriend. Tell me, how did a couple of amateurs lucked their way into the tournament?"

"What I would like to know is how you expect me to take you seriously with that haircut." Kenai retorted, earning a chuckle out of Korra.

The Wolfbats waterbender stared at Kenai for a moment with his eye slightly twitching, but regained his cool. He then approached Korra with and leaned very close.

"You know, if you really want to learn how a real pro bends, I could give you some private lessons." he whispered.

Korra stood up and got right in front of his face. "You wanna' go toe-to-toe with me, pretty boy?" she challenged.

"Go for it, I'll give you the first shot." Tahno cockily responded.

But Kenai had already figured out Tahno's intentions. If she hurt him, the Fire-Ferrets would be automatically disqualified. "Korra, don't touch him. If you do, you along with Mako and Bolin will be kicked out of the tournament." Kenai said as he stood up and made some space between them, just to face Tahno with a smirk the very next moment. "Luckily for me, I'm not from the Fire-Ferrets."

"Tch, like it would make a difference. Fine, try to touch me you loser." Tahno said lifting his arms in a 'come-at-me' sort of way. The fangirls giggled and his teammates laughed at Kenai. Tahno was a little disappointed that his previous strategy didn't work, but it was of no importance. The guy in front of him was nothing more than a pretty face. He, on the other hand, was a pretty face with talent, style and waterbending skills people could only wish for. And this guy was about to find out just how skilled he was.

"Deal." the airbender said with a smirk. Before Tahno could react, Kenai's fist greeted Tahno's left eye. The waterbender fell and landed butt-first into the ground, both of his hands covering his left eye while growling in pain. His teammates tried to help his leader stand up, but Tahno shoved them back as he stood on his feet. When he retrieved his hand from his face, he revealed a very darkish eye. "Listen to me clown, you and your weak crew can either scram or get beaten. Final warning." Kenai said with a face that meant business.

Tahno glared angrily at Kenai, who didn't felt threatened at all. He scoffed and left the restaurant trying his best not to feel humiliated, which he miserably failed at.

Kenai sighed before turning to face Korra. "Sorry about that."

Korra was anything but angry. "Are you kidding me? That was hilarious! Did you see how embarrassed he was?" she pipped up.

And so the rest of the dinner went on without further interruptions. Kenai and Korra chatted for a long time, laughing and enjoying themselves. Korra had nearly forgotten what it felt to have a good time like this, not thinking about the revolution or airbending. She really needed to thank Pema for advising her, because she was absolutely thrilled for having her date with Kenai. Time seemed to slow down for her when she stared at those chocolate orbs the handsome airbender had for eyes.

Little did she knew, Kenai had the same feeling when he looked at Korra's sky blue pearls she had in her pretty face. One thing Kenai absolutely enjoyed to do was making Korra laugh. He didn't care if it was a full-blown roar kind of laugh or a faint giggle she tried to hold, her laughter along with her cute smile was enough for Kenai to feel almost hypnotized.

Eventually, they decided to finish dinner and take a walk. When Kenai payed for the food and said his goodbyes to Yanra and her father, who apparently wasn't angry for the 'fight' Kenai had earlier, the couple leaved Rom-Tom's and made their way to Republic City's Central Park.

As they arrived, Kenai saw a small ice cream post and bought a strawberry ice cream for Korra and a raspberry one for himself. As they walked holding their hands, Korra noticed how the girls around her were glaring at her with eyes full of envy. Of course, those glares weren't unresponded as Korra stuck her tongue out to them when Kenai wasn't looking.

The couple visited some of the city's most famous attractions and sightseeing's before calling it a night. It was getting late and both of them felt it was time to go back to the island.

As they finally reached the temple, Kenai escorted Korra to her room before going to his own. "So, did you enjoy our date?" Kenai asked her when they were finally at her room's door.

"It was amazing. You really know how to show somebody a good time." Korra said with a bright smile.

"I aim to please. Especially being my first date and all."

To say Korra was shocked was an understatement. "What? This was your first date too?"

Kenai scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Yeah, it was. I mean, this is the first real date I've ever had. All of my other dates weren't as serious as this one, or as entertaining for that matter. So far, all the other girls I've met before were too delicate, too boring, too annoying or all of the three together, Asami being a possible exception. You on the other hand are tough, gentle and certainly fun to be around. Not to mention, very attractive." he said winking at the end.

The Avatar giggled as her cheeks were getting pinkier by the second. This had to be the first time someone praised her looks as well as her attitude and she loved it. What made the compliment all the more special was the fact that it was Kenai the one saying it. "Thanks, Kenai."

"You're welcome. Maybe you would be interested in a second date?" Kenai asked as if challenging her.

And Korra was not one to back down from a challenge. "You better believe I'm interested." she said with a smirk.

The next thing that happened was that Kenai leaned closer to Korra, placed his right hand on her left cheek and slowly but firmly approached his lips to Korra's until they met. Korra's eyes were wide open the second Kenai kissed her but she quickly closed them as she kissed him back with eagerness. With his other arm, Kenai wrapped Korra by her waist and pulled her a little closer to him. Korra responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

Korra's mind was blank. She wasn't able to think anything nor did she want to. The only thing she was focused on was the blissful feeling she felt all over her body, especially in her mouth. It was like having every single inch of her being covered by a warm and addictive sensation she couldn't get enough of. Kenai's thoughts were very similar to hers. There was no tongue play involved in the kiss, but it wasn't a shy one either. This was Korra's first kiss ever and by the Spirits was she enjoying it.

After a minute, they finally finished their kiss. Kenai was blushing a little while Korra looked like she was glowing in pleasure. She never thought kissing a guy would take such an impact on her. Not that she was complaining or anything.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning." Kenai said hoping that what he just told her was appropriate, considering they just had their first kiss together.

"Oh... Uhmmm... Yeah, see ya'." was the only answer she could come up with before entering her room. Once she was inside, she suddenly felt the late adrenaline kicking in and her heart started beating dangerously fast. The single thought of the kiss she shared with Kenai was enough for her to start feeling like running around like a wild animal. She covered her face with a pillow and squealed excitedly into it. She knew full well how girly it seemed, but quite honestly she couldn't bring herself to care.

Oh yeah, she was interested in that second date alright.

* * *

|Meanwhile, in Mako and Bolin's apartment|

"Bolin, for the last time, please get over it!" Mako shouted in frustration.

"No! I can't get over it, I don't want to get over it and I'll never get over it!" Bolin shouted back from the couch as he continued to cry overdramatically.

Mako sighed. He knew that it would eventually come to this. Bolin had his heart broken because of a silly crush he had on Korra, a crush that was very one-sided. Now, he had to deal with his brother's childish antics for the rest of the night and probably for the rest of the week if he was lucky. To make things worse, they had another game coming soon and Bolin was in no psychological condition to play at his fullest.

"Look, I get it. You're sad because Korra and Kenai are dating. But I told you it was going to happen eventually. Believe me, it's for the best." Mako said in an attempt to comfort his younger brother.

"For the best!? How can it be for the best!?" Bolin cried once more.

"It's for the best because teammates shouldn't date each other. We have worked so much to get to where we are, and dating Korra was simply not a good idea."

Bolin grabbed a tissue and cleaned his nose before talking. "But... But... But it's just not fair! Kenai gets Korra, you get Asami, Bolin gets... nothing!"

"Life it not fair, Bo. We both know that." Mako said as he sat next to Bolin. "Besides, not only did Korra like Kenai, but she was also the one who asked him out. If you would have asked Korra out on a date, she would've said no and things would've gotten weird between you guys. Would you have liked that?"

The earthbender looked at the ground before mumbling something.

"Well, would you?" Mako insisted.

"... No." Bolin reluctantly muttered. "It's just that I really thought I could've had a relationship with her. I guess I was wrong." he said before letting out a big, depressive sigh. Then, he grabbed his Fire Ferret mascot and started petting it. "At this rate, I'll end up dating Pabu."

After hearing his brother's statement, Mako couldn't help it. Unwillingly, he let out a small chuckle which he immediately tried to cover with his hand. Unfortunately, Bolin heard it.

"You laughed!" Bolin shouted accusingly.

"What? I did not-"

"Yes, you did! Not even my brother takes me seriously!" Bolin declared before going back to cry. Just this time, much louder and much more ridiculous than before.

Mako stood up from the couch and sighed out of frustration. 'Why do I get to deal with all this drama?'

* * *

|Next day at the Fire-Ferrets locker room|

Kenai and the Fire-Ferrets were on the locker room before the match against the Boar-q-pines.

As the Pro-bending team was getting ready, Kenai was pondering about his new 'relationship-status' with Korra and the reaction of his 'family' when they announced it to them. The kids were absolutely happy about it and bombarded them with a million and more questions. Meanwhile, Pema was glad that her nephew and Korra started dating for they made such an adorable couple in her eyes. Tenzin, however, was a whole different story. He went through various emotional states like disbelief, denial, frustration and finally resignation. All of that in only one hour.

When the match started, both teams appeared to be tied. However, Kenai noticed that Bolin was way off his game. He seemed so distracted and unmotivated that it was like watching an amateur on his first match. His accuracy was slacking and his shots didn't have a lot of force power behind, something very 'un-Bolin' like. Mako and Korra were doing just fine, but Bolin was barely able to keep up with them.

'It's like he's going Hasook or something.' Kenai said to himself.

Fortunately, the Fire-Ferrets were able to pull it out and get away with the victory. But even then, Bolin didn't seem so thrilled. When they reached the locker room, Korra was the first to pipe up. "That was close." she said while breathing hardly, taking her helmet off.

Kenai walked towards Korra and gave her a small hug. "Good job out there Korra." he said before pecking her cheek.

"Thanks." Korra said with a smile. She then turned to face the earthbender of the group, who was sitting all alone on one corner of the room. "Hey Bolin, are you alright? You were really unstable out there." Korra asked concerned.

"M-Me? Yeah sorry, I just... I just have a lot on my mind right now." Bolin responded not really sure of himself.

"Mako, Korra, could you please give me and Bolin a minute alone?" Kenai asked out loud.

Mako stared at Kenai suspiciously. "What for?"

"We need to discuss something very important and private."

The firebender thought about it for a minute. He supposed Kenai was already aware of Bolin's feeling towards Korra and how sad he was now that she was dating him. Mako liked Kenai enough and didn't mind having him around, but Bolin was his little brother. If the two of them happened to start a fight, he wouldn't hesitate to take Bolin's side. Even so, he decided to trust the airbender and let the pair talk in private. He nodded and gestured Korra to leave with him. Korra seemed suspicious, but decided to go with the flow. She could always interrogate Kenai later.

Once they were gone, Kenai took a sit next to Bolin. "Ok Bolin, what's really happening to you?"

Bolin sighed. "It's not something you'd like to know."

"It's because you also like Korra, isn't it?"

Hearing those words, Bolin started panicking. He considered Kenai as a friend and he didn't want to screw things up even more. Was he jealous? Yes, but that didn't meant he would take out his frustrations on him. That wouldn't be fair. That was not how he was. Instead of replying, Bolin just lowered his head down in shame.

"Look, I'm not mad at you or anything." Kenai said reassuringly as he patted his back.

"You... You're not?" Bolin asked surprised.

"No. But I am concerned about you. I know you're sad about Korra not liking you back, but there is something more important you should be a lot more worried about."

The earthbender narrowed his eyes. "What, the tournament?"

Kenai shook his head. "No, it's not the tournament. It's you, Bolin."

Now Bolin was confused. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Kenai said seriously. Realizing that Bolin wasn't following him, he decided to elaborate. "If you keep going on with that sad attitude you've been having, everything will look gloomy to you. Eventually, you'll lose something very precious for me, Korra, your brother and anyone who gets to know you."

"Something very precious? What do you mean? What do I have that is very precious?" the earthbender questioned. All of his grief and hopelessness was now replaced with genuine curiosity for Kenai's words. "Wait, I think I get it now!"

"... You do?"

"Yeah, it's Pabu right? If he keeps seeing me all sad, he won't recognize me anymore and could abandon me." Bolin said in a detective fashion.

...

'Must... not... facepalm.' Kenai thought after hearing Bolin's brilliant deduction. "No Bolin, I'm not talking about Pabu." he said before continuing. "Look, do you know what is it that I, Korra and Mako like the most about you? It's the way you look at life. Even after all you've been through, you're still able to smile and to see the good side of things when no one else can. Even if you're a little immature at times, your cheery and up-going attitude makes up for it big time. And even if you're sad, I know that you're capable of standing up once again and be there when we need you." Kenai said as another idea was forged inside his head. "Bolin, do you care about Mako?"

Bolin looked at him as if he just asked if he was an earthbender. "Of course I do! He's my big bro."

"And you know he had to be strong for you when you were both growing up, right?"

"Yeah, he has always been there for me when I needed him."

"Well, this time he needs you to be strong. I don't know Mako that much but what I do know is that he's been through hardships no one should ever experience. He needs you to be strong now because he has been for a long time. And how do you get strong? By overcoming your sadness and going back to your normal self." Kenai finished.

The Fire-Ferrets earthbender heard every word Kenai said. He was right. This time, Mako needed him to be strong just like he had been since they were kids, and by the sacred fur of Pabu was he going to be strong. "You're right, he needs me."

Kenai smiled. "That's what I'm talking about. Tell you what? Next time you find yourself a girl you like, tell me and I'll coach your way into her heart. Sounds good?"

"For real? In that case, you've got yourself a deal, good sir!" Bolin loudly proclaimed.

"Good. Now let's get out of here. Mako and Korra are probably getting worried." Kenai said. Bolin nodded and both of them exited the locker room. When they were outside, they saw Mako and Korra waiting for them. "It's ok guys, we're done."

Mako looked at his brother right away. Bolin wasn't crying, sobbing or even sulking. Instead he was... smiling? It wasn't a particularly giant smile or anything, but it was definitely a Bolin smile. This surprised the firebender quite a bit. He knew better than anyone that cheering up his brother was no easy task. 'Did he drugged my brother or something?' he thought.

"About time you finished. What were you guys talking about anyways?" Korra asked. She also noticed how Bolin seemed way more normal than before the game. Whatever Kenai said to him, it looked like it worked.

"Oh nothing, just guy's stuff. Right Bolin?" Kenai said dismissingly, a grin on his face.

"Yup. Just guy's stuff." Bolin replied copying Kenai's action.

* * *

|On the way to the Air Temple|

"Alright Kenai, what was that whole discussion you had with Bolin back at the Arena?" Korra asked as she and Kenai walked on the streets of Republic City towards the docks.

"Oh nothing, just some word of advice for a friend in need." Kenai responded.

Korra glared at him and made a 'what-is-it-that-you're-not-telling-me' face. "Spill it out, pretty boy."

They both stared at each other before Kenai finally gave in. "Fine, but you cannot tell a soul, ok?" he said. Korra nodded. "Bolin was going through some issues. A couple of days ago, he met a girl which he had a big crush on. However, just before he could ask her out, he found out that this girl already had a boyfriend. And Bolin being Bolin, well... he got a little heartbroken. Of course, me being the nice, intelligent, charming, caring and handsome guy that I am, I came to his aid and shared some of my wisdom. He realized how right and awesome I was and followed my advice. The rest is history."

The Avatar heard him and remained quiet for a minute. Then, she started to smile deviously.

"What?"

"I'm just thinking how desperate Bolin must have been to actually listen to your advice." Korra said jokingly. Ah yes, he deserved some teasing after what he just said.

Now it was Kenai's turn to glare at her. "Excuse me, but what is that supposed to mean?"

A way too innocent look was all the answer he received.

"Besides, he'd be an idiot if he didn't listen to me." Kenai said with a smirk.

"Oh really, why?" Korra asked with interest.

"Because..." he said as he placed his hand on Korra's hip, pulling her closer. "... It was advice from the guy who has the prettiest, strongest and coolest girlfriend ever."

Korra felt her heart skip a beat when Kenai addressed her as his girlfriend. She looked at Kenai and saw him not smirking, but smiling seriously.

That was all she needed.

"Oh, just come here already!" Korra yelled as she jumped into Kenai and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

Before Kenai could answer, Korra went and kissed him fully in the lips. Kenai responded by hugging and kissing her just as hard. Their first kiss was slow yet firm, but this one was plain passionate. Korra put her hand on the back of Kenai's head, gently grabbing him by his hair and pulling him even closer. Kenai responded by opening his mouth and letting his tongue meet Korra's. The Avatar was a little hesitant at first but she quickly granted him access inside her mouth when she discovered a whole new level of pleasure as their tongues danced together to the rhythm of her moans.

After the most intense five minutes Kenai and Korra had the pleasure to experience they finally separated from each other, the need for air becoming more and more urgent. Korra was blushing profusely and Kenai was drooling a little, but both had a big smile on their faces.

"I think we just found ourselves a new favorite hobby." Kenai said to his new girlfriend.

Needless to say, Korra agreed with her new boyfriend wholeheartedly.

* * *

That was chapter five for you. I know I made it a little shorter than my usual ones, but I wanted to end this chapter right when Kenai and Korra start their new relationship. Yep, Kenai and Korra are officially boyfriend and girlfriend now.

As always, any constructive critic is welcomed. PM me If you have any doubt regarding the story.

Review, Like and Follow

Peace.


	6. THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE TRUTH

CHAPTER 6: THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE TRUTH

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

The next few days had been wonderful for Korra and Kenai. The new couple announced their new relationship to their friends and family the very next day after that night at the docks. Everyone had a different reaction after hearing the news.

Meelo asked if he could ride Sozu.

Ikki exploded from excitement and basically soaked them in rather embarrassing questions.

Jinora congratulated them and started to stalk the new couple every time she could.

Pema hugged them and wished them luck in their new relationship.

Tenzin almost fainted and proceeded to sigh for the rest of the day.

Sozu asked Kenai why he should care for such a thing.

Asami squealed in delight.

Mako smiled and nodded approvingly.

And last but not least, Bolin kept on ranting how much they deserved one another and how young love was one of the most beautiful things to witness. Yeah, he took Kenai's advice a little too serious. Still, he was back to his normal self and that was what counts.

Of course, they kept their relationship a secret from society. Both Kenai and Korra were well aware that if their little secret ever came public, they could kiss their privacy goodbye. Besides, Tenzin was afraid of what Tarrlok could try to do if that information ever came to his ears. After all, he was a shameless manipulator.

Korra was in bliss. She'd never thought the guy who visited her that day in the South Pole with Tenzin and his family would ever become her boyfriend. Maybe it was by chance or maybe it was fate what brought them together. She didn't know and she didn't really care. The only thing that was in her head right now was Kenai and the tournament championship.

Speaking of the tournament championship, the Fire-Ferrets were getting ready for the final game of the season. They were going against the Wolfbats, the Pro-bending team that held the championship title for the last three years. The Fire-Ferrets may have won all of their matches so far, but this one promised to be the hardest of them all. All of Republic City's habitants were trembling in anticipation, for they knew this was going to be one of the biggest events of the year.

Now, back at the crew...

|Pro-bending gym|

It was a cold, snowy morning in Republic City. Kenai was watching Mako, Bolin and Korra shooting fire, rocks and water to a bunch of pictures with the face of Tahno on them. The pictures proved to be great practice targets, for the Fire-Ferrets never missed not even one picture in all of the time they were training.

"Yes! Wo-hoo!" Korra exclaimed as her water shot went straight into the picture of Tahno. She took her helmet off and grabbed a towel Kenai offered to her. "Man, I got a good feeling about tonight. I don't care if we are the underdogs, we can take those pompous Wolfbats down."

"It's gonna' be our toughest match ever, but I think you're right." Mako answered taking his helmet off as well.

Kenai grinned. "And even if you guys were to lose, I'll still have the memory of giving that scumbag Tahno a black eye."

"You did what?" Bolin questioned.

"Let's just say he bothered me and Korra on our date and he paid the prize." Kenai explained as Korra laughed at the memory. That'll teach that creep not to interrupt their dates.

Suddenly, the radio was interrupted by the sound of static. Then, a cold and threatening voice took the place of the radio's announcements.

A voice both Kenai and Korra were very familiar with.

"Good morning, citizens of Republic City." The voice started to say. It was the voice of the Equalist leader, Amon. This made Korra's eyes go wide. Kenai immediately stood up from his place and go near where Korra was standing. "This is Amon. I hope you enjoyed the last Pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It's time for this city to stop worshipping athletes as they were heroes. I am calling on the Council to shut down the bending Arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences." Amon's voice said, finishing the message.

"That guy has some nerve." Bolin commented with a frown.

"You think the Council will give in?" Mako said worried. If the finals were canceled, all of their hard work and efforts would be for nothing.

The airbender of the group stepped in. "Knowing uncle Tenzin, he'll definitely try to stop the game."

"Well I'm not waiting to find out. We need to get to the City Hall." Korra said with determination. Before her encounter with Amon, she would've said the same thing but only because she didn't wanted to look scared in front of her teammates and Kenai. Now, her confidence and intentions were genuine.

|Republic City's City Hall|

The crew made their way to the City Hall. They entered the building without asking permission from nobody and opened the door were Tenzin, Tarrlok and the other councilmen's were gathering.

Tenzin turned around. "Kenai, Korra, you shouldn't be here. This is a close meeting."

"As the Avatar and Pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard." Korra countered as she stepped in. "You can't cancel the finals."

"I know that winning the championship means a lot to you. But as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the Arena down." Tenzin said.

"What about the rest of you? Tarrlok, there's no way you're backing down from Amon right?"

"Actually, Tenzin and I agree for once." Tarrlok responded while standing up from his seat.

The aged airbender nodded. "The Council is unanimous. We are closing the Arena."

"No!" Mako shouted.

"You can't!" Bolin followed.

Korra looked confused. "I-I don't understand. I thought you of all people would take a stand against Amon!" she exclaimed referring to Tarrlok.

"While I'm still determined to bring that lunatic to justice, I would not put innocent lives at stake just for you and your friends could play a game." The Northern Water Tribe said with finality. Kenai didn't know if he meant that or not, but he couldn't disagree with that argument.

Now it was Mako's turn to speak his mind. "Pro-bending might just be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city! Right now the Arena is the only place where benders and non-benders can gather together in peace to watch benders-"

"Beat each other up! In peace! It's an inspiration to everyone!" Bolin finished what could've been a very good argument from Mako.

Kenai had another argument that could help the cause. "Councilmen's, with all due respect, have you considered what will happen if you close the Arena? If you decide to close it, the Equalist cause will become stronger. Amon will gain more influence as well as followers because the citizens will think that he is the one under control. If anything, we are giving Amon the chance to become a bigger threat than he already is. Is that what you want?"

Everyone in the room was surprised for Kenai's solid argument. In all honesty, the members of the Council did not considered the negative consequences that the peaceful option might bring upon the city.

"I appreciate your naïve idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation." Tarrlok answered. He had to admit that the boy's argument was certainly convincing, but it would take more than that to change his mind.

Korra was starting to get angry. "The reality is that if you close the Arena, you let Amon win!"

"Yes, exactly what she and Kenai said! Yes!" the earthbender of the crew shouted in approval.

"I'm sorry, but our decision is made. This meeting is adjourned."

After saying those words, Tarrlok lifted a wooden mace and attempted to smash it into the table, the act that symbolized the end of a meeting. However, just before the mace could touch the table, it was taken from Tarrlok's grasp by a metal cable. Everyone turned back and saw it was none other than Chief Beifong the author of the action.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar and the brat." Lin stated.

Tarrlok was surprised. "You do?"

Korra was even more. "Yeah, you do?"

"Granny is trying to help us? Never saw that coming." Kenai said out loud, a little payback for her nickname against him.

Lin glared at Kenai for a second but quickly returned her gaze to the Council members. "I expected this kind of cut-and-run response from Tenzin, but the rest of you? Come on, show a little more back bone! It's time for the benders of this city to display some strength and unity against these Equalists."

Tenzin frowned. "We must prevent the conflict between bender and non-benders from escalating into an all-out war! The Council is not changing its position." He said with finality. This was the first time in months the Council was unanimous in its decision regarding one of the many problems they had to face against the Equalist issue. Spirits knew that didn't occur to often.

"Now wait just a moment Tenzin." Tarrlok suddenly stepped in. "Let us hear what our esteem Chief of Police has to say."

'Wow, I can literally feel uncle's frustration coming out of him.' Kenai thought half-guilty and half-amused.

"If you keep the Arena open, my metalbenders and I will provide extra security during the championship match. There is no better force to deal with the chi blockers; our armor is impervious to their attacks." Lin said confidently.

"Are you saying that you will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators and the Arena?" Tarrlok asked with interest.

"I guarantee it."

Tarrlok placed his hand on his chin. "Mmh, it IS hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. If she is confident that her elite officers can protect the Arena, then she has my support .I am changing my vote." he said as he raised his hand. "Who else is with me?"

All of the Council members raised their hand as well, except for Tenzin.

"The Arena stays open. Good luck in the finals." Tarrlok declared.

The Fire-Ferrets and Kenai cheered in victory after hearing the Council's final decision. Korra gave Kenai a big hug, one that the airbender didn't hesitated to return. Without them noticing, Tarrlok watch the action with subtle, yet unmistaken interest. Perhaps there was more than a friendly relationship going on between the two of them. 'This might be useful.' the councilman thought smirking inwardly. "Also, good luck to you Chief Beifong." With that said, Tarrlok leaved the room.

Tenzin couldn't believe his bad luck. The one time the Council agreed on something he also did, the decision changed at the last minute. Leave it to Lin to make the Council go with the violent option. "A word please, Lin." Tenzin whispered as he made his way to her. The two of them went to the hall outside the chamber.

"What do you want now Tenzin?" Lin asked rudely.

"Tarrlok is playing you, and I don't want to see you get hurt." Tenzin answered.

"I know what I'm doing and the risk that comes with it."

"In that case I am going to be by your side during the game."

Lin glared at the airbender. "You don't need to babysit me."

Tenzin rolled his eyes. "It's for Korra. I want to make sure she's safe."

The Chief of Police had enough with the discussion. "Do what you want!" she snapped at him. "It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before." Lin said as she now started to leave the hall. The moment she started walking, the two people she didn't wanted to see any further today (and probably never) reached her. It was the Avatar and the disrespectful brat.

"Excuse me, Chief Beifong. I wanted to thank you for help." Korra started to say. However, Lin ignored her and continued to walk. "It really… means… a lot." When the Avatar finished her sentence, the cranky Chief of Police was already gone. Korra then turned around to face Tenzin. "What is her deal? Even when she's on my side she's against me!"

"She probably forgot to take her pills today. Although, she's always irritated so I don't really know." Kenai commented.

"I've known Lin since we were children. She's always been… challenging." Tenzin said. He did not liked were this conversation was going.

Korra was intrigued. "What did your father do to make her hate the Avatar so much?"

"My father and Lin got along famously. I'm afraid her issues are… with me."

'Her issues are with him? What kind of issues could she probably had with Tenzin? It's almost like…' Korra thought. Then she gasped. "Wait a second, it all makes sense now! You and Beifong, Beifong and you… You two were a couple!"

"What!?" both airbenders shouted. Kenai thought about it for a second but he quickly threw the idea away. His uncle and that granny together? That was ridiculous! There was absolutely no way Tenzin could ever be so low, so shameless to even think about being together with Lin. It was simply implausible.

"Where did you get that idea?" Tenzin asked looking very nervous.

"Ha! Your wife." Korra answered with a triumphal look on her face.

"Criminy! I'll have to have a word with her."

Kenai was visibly confused. What was he talking about?

"Soooo, Pema stole you from Beifong? I'm surprised our 'esteem' Chief of Police didn't throw her in jail." Korra said amused.

The young airbender had to interrupt. "I'm sorry Korra, but there is no way uncle Tenzin could've ever been together with Lin, right uncle? Come on, tell her."

"Anyways, Pema didn't steal me. Lin and I had been growing apart for a while. We both had... different goals in lif-Why am I even telling you this!? It all happened a long time ago and we've moved passed it." Tenzin explained himself as best as he could.

"But… But I don't understand." Kenai said worried. "You make it sound like you actually had a relationship with her."

Korra saw the chance and took it. This was going to be so much fun for her. "That's because they had a relationship dummy." she said with a big smile.

"W-What? Uncle, you didn't…" Kenai looked at Tenzin at the edge of panicking.

Tenzin sighed. "Yes Kenai, I once had a relationship with Lin. Now, I'm going to ask you to please take it ea-"

"HOW COULD YOU! HOW COULD YOU EVER HOOK UP WITH THAT MUMMY! DON'T YOU HAVE A SENSE OF MORALITY OR SOMETHING!?" Kenai screamed while pointing at Tenzin.

"Kenai! Please don't make a scene right now!" Tenzin begged his nephew.

"DID SHE MAKE YOU DO IT!? DID SHE TRICK YOU INTO BEING WITH HER!? DID SHE THREATEN YOU!? I AM GOING TO KILL HER!"

"No! None of that ever happened. We were young and-"

"ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU GOT FLIRTY WITH THAT DISGUSTING GRANNY ON YOUR OWN FREE WILL!? SHAME ON YOU UNCLE, SHAME ON YOU! "

At this point, Korra was rolling on the ground laughing harder than ever. She knew her boyfriend would react like this, but it was still hilarious. Now she had a whole new material to tease him with, a teasing gold mine.

"That's enough! Besides… this is none of your business!" Tenzin said embarrassed out of his mind as he walked away from the pair. Knowing his nephew, it was going to take a while for him to 'forgive his uncle for his unspeakable sin'.

"See you at home, Mr. Heartbreaker!" Korra shouted at Tenzin before laughing again. Tenzin did the only thing he could do right now: Run.

As Kenai and Korra were leaving the City Hall, Korra noticed how bad Kenai was feeling. He was trembling and he looked like he was about to throw out. She giggled and was about to make a joke when her boyfriend gave her a very dirty look.

"Not a word."

This was the perfect opportunity to test out that new material she just found out. "About what?" she asked with a little too much innocence behind her words.

"You know very well what I'm talking about." Kenai said in a threatening tone.

"Hmmmm, oh you mean the fact that your uncle was Lin's boyfriend some time ago?"

"S-Shut up!"

"I just wonder, how many times do you think they have kissed before?"

"I said shut up! What part of 'shut up' you don't understand!? Are you deaf or something!?"

Oh yeah, the next weeks were definitely going to be fun for her.

|Air Temple|

Kenai and Korra were currently sitting on a bench near the gardens of the Air Temple. They were enjoying a nice hot cup of tea, courtesy of the ever-caring Pema. This special tea recipe was usually made to calm one's nerves. Korra was having one for her anxiousness because of the championship final and Kenai was having one because… well, he just found out about Tenzin's past with Lin.

"So, how are you feeling about the match? Are you nervous?" Kenai said breaking the silence between them.

"Nope, not at all." Korra replied. After a few moments of hesitation, she spoke up again. "Ok, maybe I'm just a tiny bit nervous."

The airbender looked at her surprised. "Is that so?" he asked. Then, his lips turned into his usual smirk. "Fortunately for you, I have the ultimate method to get rid of your nervousness."

"And what method would that be?" Korra asked interested.

Kenai's answer was to grab Korra, place her on his lap, pull her close to him and kiss her with fierce determination. Korra's eyes widened in surprise but she quickly responded by wrapping her left arm around his neck, holding her left wrist with her right hand.

Over the past few days, the new couple discovered that kissing was one of the best things ever. Both of them being hot blooded by nature, it didn't took them long to engage in passionate make-out sessions when they had the chance. Being close to each other and sharing lips was more satisfying than anything in the world. When they were in public (by public meaning Mako, Bolin, Asami, Pema, Tenzin and the kids), they would just hold hands together and maybe share a light and quick kiss. When they were alone, however, the soft kisses were replaced by lips devouring each other. The pleasure that came along was indescribable.

After finishing their intense make-out, Korra was sporting a big smile and a faint blush. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow." Kenai said in agreement. "You still feeling nervous?"

"Mmmhhhh, I don't know. I think I need another one of those, just to make sure." Korra said with a very flirty voice that made her look undeniably sexy in the eyes of Kenai.

"If that's the case, then what are you waiting for?" Kenai retorted before pulling her close once again and meeting those delicious lips of hers he liked to kiss so much. Korra was feeling so good at the moment that she had to fight off the idea of missing the game just so she could stay right there with Kenai and keep kissing him. She had to hand it to Kenai; he certainly knew how to use his mouth for a greater good, not just to throw smartass comments.

|Pro-bending Arena|

A couple of hours later, the Fire-Ferrets were being introduced to the crowd at the Pro-bending Arena. Kenai was watching the whole thing with Asami and Hiroshi in one of the VIP posts.

In all of the times the airbender had visited the stadium to watch his team's performance, this had to be the most attended one by far. The whole thing was a blur of shouts, faces and light flashes. Kenai was thankful he had met the Sato businessman and his daughter, who were kind enough to invite him to watch the game with them. Kenai accepted the offer, thinking that it would be nice to get to know Asami and her father more. They had only met in a number of occasions and even though they got along fine, they were still fairly new to each other.

As Kenai entered the VIP room, he saw Asami was just about to take a seat next to her father. The place consisted in a small room with a big red carpet and a couple of red padded chairs. The view was great and there was a mini-bar were one could have free water and some snacks, courtesy of the Arena.

Asami then saw Kenai. "Hey Kenai, glad you could make it." she said with a smile.

"Hey Asami, hello Hiroshi." Kenai responded with a smile of his own. He was about to call Hiroshi 'Mr. Sato' but he remembered that back in Tarrlok's social gala he insisted in being called just by his name.

"Aaaaahh, I remember you. You were the young man I met at that gala some time ago. It's a pleasure to see you again." Hiroshi said with a fatherly smile as he extended his hand.

Kenai shook his hand. "Yeah, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Ooooh, same things as always. Long and boring meetings with the investors and exhaustive appointments with my business partners. It feels nice to take some time off work and spent a few minutes watching the Pro-bending finals with my daughter." the Sato businessman said as he grabbed Asami's hand tightly. Asami smiled in return and gestured Kenai to go sit by her side, which he did.

In a couple of seconds, the lights in the roof were turned on and focused on the center of the Arena, where a man wearing a black and pink suit was standing, striking a posture that was a little too overdramatic for Kenai's taste. The man grabbed a microphone and started talking. "Introducing the challengers, The Future Industries Fire-Ferrets!"

The crowd cheered at the introduction of the underdogs. The Fire-Ferrets were approaching the stage in a moving platform, greeting the fans as they waved their hands. Thinking that neither her father nor Kenai were watching her, Asami blew a kiss to Mako followed by a wink. In the distance, Mako saw his girlfriend and did the same to her.

Kenai did not miss such a thing. "Get a room you two." he whispered into Asami's ear. The girl started blushing and punched Kenai's arm.

"Shut up you idiot!" she whispered back.

Kenai chuckled and his gaze returned to Korra. She seemed confident and ready, not a single trace of nervousness on her. 'Looks like my method was effective.' he thought while grinning to himself. However, there was something that Kenai couldn't get out of his head. The Arena had stayed open, ignoring Amon's order to close it. The Equalist leader did said that there would be severe consequences if his command went unheard, and that man did not seemed to be one who bluffed. Even with the metalbending squad guarding the place Amon could still find a way to outmaneuver them. Kenai would have to be alert, especially since Amon made it very clear that he was one of his targets along with his family.

"And their opponents, the three-time champions Wolfbats!" the man on the stage said as he now pointed the other side of the Arena. Three men wearing capes and Wolfbats masks were standing now on the ring, two of them behind one. Out of nowhere, the Wolfbats raised their capes and started howling as fireworks appeared on their backs.

Upon seeing this, Kenai sweat-dropped. He thought the man introducing the teams on the stage exaggerated his entrance a bit, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

When the two teams were positioned, the referee ordered to start and the bell ringed. Even if he hated to admit it, Kenai was surprised by the display of skills the Wolfbats were showing. However, the Fire-Ferrets were not left behind as they attacked just as strong as their opponents. As the first round went on, Kenai spotted Tahno launching a large stream of water to Bolin, who received it and was sent rolling onto the last base of the ring. He was no Pro-bending hardcore fan or anything, but Kenai was pretty sure that move was illegal. In fact, he heard Mako complaining to the referee about that last move. But the referee ignored his complains and gestured the Fire-Ferrets to retreat.

Not even five minutes later, Kenai spotted another illegal move made by the Wolfbats earthbender. The nameless earthbender controlled some disks from the Fire-Ferrets base. Next, he bended another disk from his own base and sent both of them to Mako, who was struck hard from both sides and ended up falling into the ground. Yet again, the referee seemed to ignore the obviously illicit move that had been done.

"I think there's something going on here. Those two moves were obviously illegal but that referee over there isn't doing anything." Kenai commented.

Hiroshi nodded. "I agree. I'm no expert on these kinds of things but even I can tell that those last moves were sketchy."

"It's like that referee has been bribed or something. There's no way he could dismiss them like that." Asami said while frowning. Watching her boyfriend lose to another team because they were cheating while the stupid referee was doing nothing was not a pretty sight.

That last comment made Kenai think. Did the Wolfbats actually bribe the referee? It didn't seem so far-fetched, considering those last two moves. Any decent referee would have stopped them right there and make them lose the round. Maybe even disqualified them if he was a strict one. This one seemed to shrug off the teams complains despite witnessing such obvious foul play. Was that the reason why the Wolfbats were Pro-bending champs three years in a row? Because they paid the referee so they could play as dirty as they wanted? If that was correct, then Tahno had another black eye coming to him.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, Tahno waterbended some water and launched it at Bolin's feet. Bolin saw this and jumped. When his feet touched ground, he lost balance as he realized the water Tahno threw at him was now ice. Seconds later, he was struck by a fireball and was knocked out of the ring.

This the referee did something? Take a wild guess.

"Ok, that referee is either blind or bribed. There's no way he could allow that last move." Kenai angrily stated. "When this match is over, I'm gonna' have a few words with him."

"Wait in line." Asami said equally frustrated.

"As the official sponsor of the Fire-Ferrets, I cannot let this absurdity go unspoken. I shall also talk with whoever is running this show." Hiroshi said in a lot calmer way than his daughter and her friend, but just as exasperated.

To finish the game, a waterbending-earthbending combo knocked both Korra and Mako out of the ring. Kenai clenched his fists and was about to storm out of the room when he saw Korra was hanging onto the ring with one arm while holding Mako by the collar with the other. That meant that they were still in the game. Sacrificing herself for the team, Korra threw Mako into the ring. Mako took the chance and kicked a fireball to Tahno, who was distracted. This caused him to fall into the other zone, thus ending the first round. Kenai almost giggled in delight as he saw Mako winking at Tahno, whose left eye was twitching in an unnatural, unhealthy way.

The second round started and the Wolfbats did not seem to stop their foul play. Luckily, the Fire-Ferrets were able to hold their own without resorting to dirty tricks. It was announced that the second round was going to be decided by a tie-breaker. The referee tossed a blue and red coin and announced that the Fire-Ferrets won the coin toss, which meant that they were the ones who would choose with what element they would go with at the tie-break. Korra stepped in and Tahno followed her.

'This is gonna' be good." Kenai thought with a smirk.

And it was good indeed. Korra waterbended a blast of water towards Tahno, but instead of trying to hit him right away, the blast of water went behind his back from Tahno's left side just to pop up from his right side and hitting him square in his chin, knocking him out and losing round two to the Fire-Ferrets.

Now that they were tied, the Fire-Ferrets needed to win two more rounds and the tittle was theirs for the taking. Round three started just like the previous round, with both teams going all for it. After a few minutes, Tahno placed himself behind the Wolfbats earthbender, who cracked a disk on his back for Tahno to pick them up with waterbending. Using water with pieces of rock inside, Tahno shot three streams of water to the Fire-Ferrets who were knocked out of the ring. The referee stopped the match and named the Wolfbats champions of the tournament for the fourth time.

Kenai was infuriated. "That's it. That referee is dead."

"I barely broke a sweat. Anybody wants to mess with the champs?" Tahno loudly proclaimed as he took off his helmet.

"And that guy is dead too." Kenai said.

Before anything else could be said, screams of pain were heard in the Arena. Kenai looked up just in time to see Lin and Tenzin being electrocuted by masked man with metallic gloves on their hands. The rest of the metalbending squad were took by surprise and electrocuted as well. 'Equalists.' Kenai thought as he got tense and narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling Amon was going to attempt something during the game.

'Where's Korra?' the airbender asked himself. He looked down where the Fire-Ferrets were, just to see a chi-blocker with two electrical sticks near them. Korra, Mako and Bolin where still in the water area, and before they could defend themselves, the chi-blocker activated his sticks and dug them in the water. Screams of agony came out of the Fire-Ferrets mouths before they were out cold. Something snapped inside of Kenai. He just witnessed his uncle, his friends and his girlfriend being electrocuted into unconsciousness.

He was irate. Nobody did that to the people he cared about and was left unpunished.

"Dad, what's going on?" Asami asked her father confused.

"I don't know dear, but I don't like it. We are leaving now."

"Asami, Hiroshi, wait here. It's too dangerous right now. Do not leave this room until everything is secure. I'll be right back." Kenai ordered them before leaving the scene. Hiroshi tried to warn him, but he was already gone.

* * *

Mako, Bolin and Korra were not in the best of situations. They just woke up from a 'shocking' attack and the first thing they noticed was that they were tied to a metal post by a cable, incapable of using their hands. Things were not looking pretty.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Mako questioned his teammates.

Korra tried to think of something but nothing came to her head. She looked up and saw the answer going their way. "Kenai!"

The male members of the Fire-Ferrets also looked up and saw Kenai coming at them.

"Are you guys ok?" Kenai asked when he reached them.

"Yeah but we're in the middle of a situation right now. You think you can get us untied?" Mako asked back.

Kenai grabbed the cable and tried to loosen it, but it was no use. "Damn it, it's too strong." he said as he struggled to remove the cable. In order for Kenai to untie them, he needed time. Time he did not had. 'I guess I don't have a choice.' he thought in resignation as he took a deep breath. The next thing he did, he raised his right hand and extended his fingers. His hand started to faintly glow with a white light as some air was being gathered in his fingertips. Before any of the Fire-Ferrets could ask what he was doing, Kenai slashed the cable with a diagonal cut so fast that they barely saw his hand moving. The cable was instantly cut, freeing Bolin, Korra and Mako from its restrain.

"Wow, what was that?" Korra asked completely amazed. What kind of airbending did her boyfriend just did?

"I'll explain later." was Kenai's answer. "We need to get Tenzin and leave the Arena now."

As astonished as they were, the Fire-Ferrets nodded in agreement. They could always interrogate their savior later, when their lives weren't at risk.

When they were about to teach the exit, a loud crash was heard at the top of the stadium. Korra looked up and saw Amon leaving the scene hanging from a rope ladder along with his fellow chi-blockers. The rope ladders proceeded from an airship above the stadium. As soon as the Equalists were at a safe distance, one of them activated a detonator, causing the ring beneath the crew to explode.

"This guy's a real piece of work." Kenai growled.

"I'm going after him." Korra said as she dived into the water. Once she was completely submerged, Korra bent a large water spout and lifted herself to reach the top of the Arena where the Equalist airship was. However, when she was near top, her spout ran out of water. Just as she was starting to fall, a cable grabbed her by the waist, courtesy of Chief Beifong who was swinging in on another cable attached to the top of the Arena.

Pulling out all of the strength she could muster at the moment, Lin threw Korra up through the glass roof. Korra landed just in time to face some Equalists who were still around.

As much as it would hurt Kenai's pride, he made a mental note to thank Lin for her assistance. Even if he hated her guts and was still recovering from knowing her past with Tenzin, he still felt that it was the least he could do. Kenai then returned his gaze to the bending brothers. "Mako, follow me. We're going to the rooftop to help Korra. Bolin, you go to the VIP room where Asami and Hiroshi are. It's the fourth room of the VIP section on the right. When things calm down, meet us outside the stadium. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" Bolin exclaimed making an army-like salute with his hand.

"Good. Ok Mako, let's go." Kenai said to Mako, who nodded in return.

|Pro-bending Arena's rooftop|

Mako and Kenai made their way to the rooftop in time to encounter a couple of chi-blockers ready to attack Korra. Mako made the first move, launching a fireball to the closest enemy he had. Kenai followed with a three air blast combo, sending another chi-blocker to the ground. The fight went on for another three minutes until the airship started to leave with now all of the chi-blockers hanging on from rope ladders, but not before Korra tried to get Amon by sending a powerful fireball to the airship. Her attack did reach the Equalists, but none of them were severely hurt. The Avatar couldn't do nothing but observe how Amon and his henchmen got away with their threat, showing all of Republic City he was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

"You ok?" Kenai asked as he reached Korra.

Korra sighed. "Yeah, but Amon got away. And it's my fault."

"Your fault? What are you talking about?"

"I was the one who convinced the Council to let the Arena stay open. Not only did we lose the championship, I also gave Amon the opportunity to demonstrate how powerful he is. This whole thing is on me." Korra stated sadly.

The Fire-Ferrets firebender made his way to Korra and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You can't think like that Korra. We lost the game because that referee was clearly bribed and you were not the only one who pushed the Council to keep the Arena open. I also tried to persuade the Council even if I was aware of Amon's threat, which means I'm just as guilty."

"And so am I." Kenai added. "It's not like I stayed quiet during the whole thing. I followed my instincts and supported this thing, so that also makes me responsible."

Now Lin spoke up. "I hate to admit it, but I am probably the prime responsible for this. I guaranteed that I and my metalbending squad would ensure the security of the game, and we failed. I can't believe Amon did this. I played right into his hands."

Tenzin placed a hand on Lin's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, very much like Mako did with Korra. "He played us all." he said before making a pause. "Republic City is at war."

* * *

|Three days later, Mako and Bolin's apartment|

"I still can't believe they're shutting this place down." Mako said as he finished packing his clothes in a box.

"Yeah, we had some good memories here, didn't we?" Bolin responded. Due to the attack on the Arena three days ago, Republic City's Police Department ordered to close the building to gather whatever evidence they could find and start the reconstruction process. That meant that Mako and Bolin were forced to leave their apartment and find another place to stay for the time being.

Before they could remember all of the things that happened in their little space they grew to call home, Korra and Kenai walked inside. "Guys, great news! You don't have to go back on the streets. We talked to Tenzin and made all the arrangements. You can go live in the Air Temple with us." Korra said excitedly, glad to be able to help her friends in need. She really was thrilled with the idea of having both Mako and Bolin living with her and Kenai.

"Oh... Well, we'd love to but-" Mako started to say before he was interrupted by his brother.

"Asami already invited us to live with her in her mansion!" Bolin said before standing up and wrapping his arm on Mako's waist, keeping him uncomfortably close. "From here on now, it's gonna' be the lap of luxury for us."

Korra's face flinched slightly in disappointment at Bolin's announcement, but her flinch turned into a full murderous face expression when she heard the voice of Asami saying hello to her and Kenai behind her.

"It's nice to see you two here." Asami said.

Feeling that things were not going too well, Kenai intervened. "Sorry, we were just stopping by to say hello and see if you guys needed anything. It's just a quick visit, that's all."

"Yeah, we're actually leaving right now." Korra said trying to hide her jealousy. "I guess we'll see you around... sometime." she muttered as she started to walk down the stairs with Kenai following behind.

"Why not tomorrow? I'd love to see you guys in the mansion state." Asami offered.

"I don't know, I kinda' have some Avatar stuff to do." Korra replied.

'Wow Korra, very convincing.' Kenai thought rolling his eyes. If she was going to give her an excuse, she might as well give her a good one. "Yeah, but if we have some spare time tomorrow we'll try to go. Sounds good?"

Asami smiled, apparently buying the lame excuse. "Great! We'll see you tomorrow."

Once the pair was outside the Arena, Korra crossed her arms and frowned. "That darn spoiled rich girl."

Kenai grabbed her hand. "Come on Korra, don't be like that. She's just trying to help the guy's out."

"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that she's prissy."

"Prissy or not, that's beside the point. I know you wanted to have Bolin and Mako living in the island. Believe me, I wanted to have them as well. But instead of getting angry or frustrated for that, why don't you try to feel happy for them? They have a new home now with things they never had growing up. Can you really blame Asami for giving them that?"

"... No." Korra responded after a few seconds. 'Stupid pretty boy, making stupid reasonable arguments.'

The airbender grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" he said. Korra only gave him a dirty glare in response. After a couple of minutes she recalled something she wanted to ask Kenai ever since that night at the Arena.

"Hey Kenai."

"Yeah?"

"When we were being attacked three days ago, how did you do that thing?"

Kenai cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, what is this thing we're talking about?"

"You know, that thing you did to untie us. Your hand was sort of glowing and in less than a second you cut that cable like it was nothing. Care to explain?"

Instead of replying instantly, Kenai frowned and looked at the ground before speaking again. "When strong enough, air can become wind. Wind does not only blow, it can also cut. What I basically did was to bend air fast and strong enough to cut through the cable." he explained.

Korra's eyes went wide in surprise. "What? Are you telling me you cut through a metal cable using airbending?" she asked. Seeing that her boyfriend nodded, Korra continued her interrogation. "I... I don't get it. How can air cut through stuff like that? It kinda' sounds a little impossible to me."

"A lot of things are impossible until you actually try them." Kenai said shrugging his shoulders.

"Riiiight. Anyways, what was that white glow you had in your hand? I've never seen anything like that before." Korra asked.

"That was my chi. Over the years, I learned how to harness my chi in a way that it toughens whatever part of my body I focus it."

At this point, Korra was speechless. Kenai was like an endless bag of surprises. Just when she felt she knew everything about her boyfriend, another secret was revealed. "How did you learned to do that?" she finally asked.

Kenai smiled. "I actually learned it all by myself. When Tenzin was not around, I used to go to the forest and practice molding this energy. Turns out that if you train your mind and body hard enough, you can use your chi not just for bending. That is why I have trained so hard all of these years. To be the best airbender I know I can be."

The Avatar couldn't help but smile at Kenai's drive. It was another thing they shared in common, always trying to be the best. Were Korra wanted to be the best Avatar she could become, Kenai wanted to be the best airbender he could become. If anything, it certainly showed how dedicated he was.

"So, about visiting Asami tomorrow..."

|Next day at the Sato mansion|

"Earthbending bomb!" Bolin shouted as he jumped down the pool where Mako and Asami were hanging around.

The bending brothers had been adjusted fairly well to their stay in Asami's house. They didn't mind having exquisite food they could eat whenever they wanted, they didn't mind having a big pool were they could relax and they certainly didn't mind to have butlers at their service 24 hours a day. Nope, they really didn't mind at all. In fact, they actually liked having all that.

Which is a massive understatement.

Now, before any more earthbending bombs could be dropped, one of the butlers came into the room with Korra and Kenai. "Miss Asami, Avatar Korra and master Kenai have arrived." he announced.

"Hey guys." Mako greeted them.

"Welcome to paradise!" Bolin said as he carelessly floated in the water.

Korra took a seat on a chair nearby. "Looks like you guys settled in." she commented not angry, but not too thrilled either. She knew Kenai was right about what they talked the other day, but she still was a little jealous.

"Pretty much." Mako answered. "Except someone forgot to ask her father if we could stay here."

Asami shrugged. "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." she said swimming at her boyfriend's side.

"Hey, mind if I join you guys? With all of the snow lately, I haven't been able to go swimming in a pool." Kenai asked.

"Sure. I think we have a spare swimsuit in one of the changing rooms." Asami answered pointing a door next to her.

"Thanks." Kenai said as he walked to the changing rooms. "How about you Korra? Wanna' go for a swim?"

"Me? No thanks, I feel fine right here where I am." Korra said. In reality, she did want to go swimming but there was a little problem. Being raised in the South Pole all of her life, there was no need for her to try a swimsuit before. Why would she? The South Pole wasn't exactly known for its beaches or anything. Korra was watching Asami wearing that thing she called a swimsuit and it was a little more than exposing for her taste. Not to mention Mako and Bolin were there too. Sure they were her friends and all, but she still didn't have enough confidence to just go around revealing parts of her body like that. The mere thought of being with Kenai, Bolin, Mako and Asami while wearing a swimsuit honestly freak her out.

After a while, Kenai came out of the changing room. Instead of the usual one-piece swimsuit that covered both torso and thighs, he was wearing a loose grey swim shorts that reached the middle of his thighs, leaving the rest of his body to the sight of everyone present.

The Sato heiress felt her cheeks heating up a bit. Even if she was with Mako, she simply couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that Korra's boyfriend was damn sexy. The first time she saw him at that gala Tarrlok held, she thought he was fairly attractive. However, watching him wearing nothing but a swim shorts was more than enough to make her blush. Lean and muscular body along with well-marked abs and a handsome face to go with? Oh yes, 10 out of 10 in the looks department.

Mako noticed how Asami was looking at Kenai and felt slightly jealous. Bolin? Bolin was getting himself dry with the assistance of the butler from earlier... just to jump into the pool again when he was done.

Korra was also observing her boyfriend's figure. This was the second time she saw Kenai shirtless and boy was it a sight to behold for her. It filled her with pride to know that such a man was with her. 'Take that Asami! Can your money buy that?' she deviously thought.

Returning his attention to Asami, Korra spoke up. "So, what do you have planned for us today? Let me guess: Shopping, make-overs..."

"Actually, I had something a little more exciting in mind." Asami replied with a smile.

|Future Industries test track|

"Pretty cool, huh?" Asami asked.

Korra nodded with a big smile. "Way cooler than a make-over."

"This is where Future Industries test-drive their Satomobiles. Ever been behind the wheel?"

"The only thing I know how to drive is a Polar Bear Dog." Korra answered sheepishly.

Asami smiled. "Want me to take you for a spin?"

In a matter of nanoseconds, Korra got excited. "Let's do it!"

|After a quick race were Asami beat one of the test drivers without any effort|

"That was amazing!" Korra shouted as she jumped out of the car. "I didn't think we would make it."

Kenai, who was waiting for the girls near the finish line of the racetrack, interrupted whatever Asami was going to say. "We? It was Asami the one driving. You were more like a spectator."

The Avatar punched Kenai's arm before turning to face Asami. "I gotta' admit I had you pegged wrong. I thought you were kinda'... prissy. No offense!"

Hiroshi's daughter laughed a bit. "It's alright. People usually assume that I'm daddy's helpless little girl but I can handle myself. I mean I've been in self-defence classes since I was this tall." Asami said lowering her hand at the height of her hip. "My dad made sure I would always be able to protect myself."

This caught Kenai's attention. "Oh really? And just how good are you at defending yourself?"

"Oh, let's just say I'm good enough to put you into the ground in a blink of an eye." Asami responded playfully.

"Is that so? Man, if there only was a way to prove it." Kenai retorted just as playfully. He was genuinely curious about Asami regarding her combat skills, a trait that got to him during his time as a fighter in the underground brawl tournaments. True enough, Asami did not seem much of a threat at first sight, but so did a lot of opponents he faced before that ended up being way stronger than he thought. Appearances could be very deceiving, and what can deceive a fighter can also finish him. Asami also seemed interest in a challenge. It has been a while since she had a sparring partner that could keep up with her.

Unfortunately, Bolin's weak bladder kicked in, forcing the group to abandon the racetrack and return to the mansion.

"Uhhh, is there another bathroom I could use?" Korra asked.

"We have a ladies powder room upstairs, first door on the right. You can freshen up in there."

"Thanks." Korra said as he walked up the stairs.

Kenai thought he might as well go to the bathroom and drink some water. As he entered the bathroom, the airbender was surprised of the elegancy displayed. Then again, the entire mansion had also proved to be just as elegant so far. Everything looked like it was made out of marble except for the toilets and the hand wash. After drinking some water and washing his face (and trying to ignore Bolin's moans of relief while he was at it), Kenai was ready. When he stepped outside the bathroom, he saw Bolin getting perfumed by the very same butler from before.

'This guy has more patience than uncle Tenzin and aunt Pema put together.' Kenai thought feeling pity for him.

As he started to approach his friends, somebody grabbed his arm and started to drag him around. Kenai turned around and saw it was Korra, who seemed to be very agitated for some reason. "Korra, what's going on?"

"We have to go now."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later."

Puzzled by his girlfriend's strange behavior, Kenai obliged and started to walk with her, passing by Bolin, Asami and Mako.

"Are you guys leaving?" Asami asked confused. "But I thought-"

"I'm sorry, I forgot we're supposed airsit... I mean babybend... I-I mean babysit the airbender kids. See you later!" Korra excused herself.

"Y-Yeah what she said." Kenai added before leaving. 'Why do I always get involved in the lamest of excuses?'

Naga was waiting for them outside the mansion. Korra mounted her Polar Bear Dog and helped Kenai hop in. Not wasting any time, Korra and Kenai leaved the mansion as fast as they could, leaving Mako, Bolin and Asami without knowing what to make out of what just happened.

"Ok Korra, what is going on right now?" Kenai asked once they were far enough.

"I think Hiroshi is involved with the Equalist."

"... Come again?"

* * *

|Republic City HQ rooftop at night|

"So, you think Mister Sato manufactured those gloves for the Equalist and then framed Cabbage Corps?" Tenzin asked incredulously.

Lin was even more incredulous. "That's a bold accusation, but what proof do you have?" she asked. She herself had met Hiroshi Sato before, mostly in high-social parties and some business meetings regarding the manufacturing of police vehicles. So far, nothing from him had hit her as suspicious.

"Well, I don't exactly have proof, but I know what I heard. Sato's up to something." Korra responded.

Lin wasn't the only one with doubts. Kenai knew Korra well enough and the possibility that she misunderstood what she heard was not that unlikely. "I'm sorry, but what did you heard back at the mansion?"

Korra looked at Kenai. "I was just leaving the powder room when I heard Hiroshi talking with someone on the telephone. He said that luckily the Cabbage Corps investigation had bought them more time for something. Also, he said that by the end of the week they would be ready to strike."

Chief Beifong placed her fingers in her chin. "Mmmmhh, he does have the means... and a reason."

"A reason?" Kenai asked.

Tenzin nodded. "That's right. Twelve years ago, the Agni Kai Triad robbed Sato's mansion. A firebender killed Sato's wife during the break in."

"That's terrible." Korra said. Now that she thought about it, that was why she never met Asami's mom. Thank the Spirits she never asked about her. She learned that lesson already with Mako that night at the park when they were looking for Bolin.

"It was tragic. It is possible that he has been harboring anti-bending feelings all this time."

"Maybe we should look at Mister Sato a little more closely." Lin said.

|Next day, Sato mansion|

Korra, Lin, Tenzin and Kenai were waiting outside the Sato mansion ready to have a few words with Hiroshi. One of the butlers opened the door, allowing the group to enter the house. As they were walking up the stairs that lead to Hiroshi's office, Kenai and Korra were spotted by Asami, Bolin and Mako. "What's going on?" Mako asked. "Why are they asking Hiroshi more questions?"

"I overheard him on the phone yesterday. Asami, I don't know how to tell you this... but I think your father might be involved with the Equalists." Korra responded.

"What? I don't believe this!" Asami shouted as she walked upstairs to see her dad, leaving Korra with Mako and Kenai.

Mako glared at Korra. "You spied on Hiroshi? What's your problem?"

"Mako, calm down. We are not saying that Hiroshi is a criminal or anything like that, we are just here to clarify some suspicions." Kenai said trying to ease up the situation.

"Tch, I figured as much. I'm not surprised that you side with your girlfriend in everything." Mako said now looking at the airbender with anger.

Now it was Kenai's turn to glare at the firebender. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I'm saying that you are too afraid to take any side other than Korra's. That you're just gonna' agree with her in whatever she thinks. It's not too hard to figure out who wears the pants in your relationship."

That was it. "Oh really, this coming from the guy who started dating the daughter of one of the richest man in Republic City days before your Pro-bending team got eliminated for not paying the expensive entry fee that was required? I'm hurt."

"What are you trying to tell me!?" Mako shouted taking a step forward to Kenai.

"I'm not 'trying' to tell you anything Mako. I'm telling you straight on." Kenai answered taking a step forward as well.

"Guys, cut it out!" Korra shouted separating both of the benders. "This is not the time to be fighting!"

Kenai and Mako glared at each other harshly before reluctantly stepping back. They would sort out their differences another time.

The three of them walked inside Hiroshi's office just in time to hear him say that he had nothing to do with 'those radicals'.

Korra pointed at Hiroshi with a menacing finger. "I overheard you on the phone the other day. You said the Cabbage Corps investigation bought you enough time and that you're ready to strike. Explain that!" she demanded.

Hiroshi laughed. "This is all just a misunderstanding, resulting of the young Avatar's over-active imagination. My number one competitor was knocked out of the game. It's providing me an opportunity to 'strike' the market with a new line of Satomobiles. It's just business, nothing nefarious."

Tenzin and Lin looked at each other for a moment. "In order to put all suspicions to rest, might we have a look at your factories and warehouses?" Tenzin asked.

Asami was about to protest but Hiroshi stopped her. "If you feel its necessary, you're welcome to search all of Future Industries."

With that said, Kenai, Korra, Lin and Tenzin leaved the mansion. The next day, all of the metalbending squads available at the moment searched for evidence in every factory and warehouse owned by Future Industries for an entire week. However, the research proved to be fruitless, for no evidence that could relate Hiroshi Sato to the Equalists was found. The whole thing really messed up the friendship between Asami and Korra along with Kenai and Mako. They wouldn't talk to each other in all of that time. At this very moment, another metalbending squad just finished searching in the last Future Industries factory with no results whatsoever.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything." Korra said frustrated.

"It would appear that Hiroshi is innocent." Lin commented.

Mako and Asami approached the group. "Ok, you did your search. Now you can all leave." Asami said very much annoyed. Mako gestured Kenai and Korra to follow him.

"So? I hope you guys are convinced now." Mako said at the pair once they were distant enough.

"No I'm not! I don't care how cooperate Hiroshi is being, I know he's lying." Korra responded angrily.

The firebender glared hard at the two. "If you don't drop this, consider our friendship over."

"I think I can live with that." Kenai answered, not really caring about the dirty look he was getting from Mako.

Korra hesitated for a minute before speaking. "I'm sorry, Hiroshi is not the man you think he is."

The firebender glanced at them one more time before grabbing Asami and walking out of the place.

Korra sighed. Things were not looking good for her. She knew Hiroshi was up to something but she had no proof she could rely on. Searching for evidence in the factories and warehouses had been useless and her friendship with Asami and Mako was damaged, ruined maybe. Her Avatar job could be so frustrating at times.

Sensing his girlfriend's distress, Kenai approached Korra and hugged her. "Don't worry Korra, we'll sort this thing out." he whispered.

The Avatar returned the embrace. "Kenai, do you think I made the right choice?"

"I don't know, but what I do know is that you're trying to protect this city the best way you can. I think that's admirable. You know you can always count on me when things get hard right?"

Korra smiled gently. She really loved that Kenai was so supportive in times like these. He could've stayed out of this whole mess and avoid the conflict with Mako and Asami, yet he choose to stand by her side and aid her in any way he could. It really was very sweet of him. "Thanks."

"No problem. Let's go back with Tenzin alright?" Kenai asked Korra, who nodded.

Outside of the warehouse, Kenai was talking to Lin and Tenzin about what should they do next while Korra was patting Naga's head. As she was doing this, she felt something touch her hand, something like a piece of paper. True enough, it was a note. Korra turned around to see who gave it to her, but she could only see a bunch of workers from the warehouse, all looking almost the same as the next one. Assuming it was pointless to ask the workers who gave her the note, Korra looked at what the note said.

Her eyes widened.

"I think you guys should hear this." Korra said, gaining the attention of Lin, Tenzin and Kenai. "If you want to find the truth, meet me at the North end of the Silk Road bridge at midnight."

|Silk Road bridge|

"Psssst, over here." a voice was heard behind one of the bridge's pillars. An old man with grey hair wearing a brown coat and a hat appeared in front of Kenai, Lin, Tenzin and Korra. "Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in what Amon said. I thought he could make life better for us non-benders. But I didn't sign up for this, this war."

"What do you have on Hiroshi Sato?" Lin questioned the man.

"He manufactured those gloves for the Equalists."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "I knew it!"

The old man spoke again. "And there are rumors he's working on something bigger. Some new kind of weapon."

"We searched all of Future Industries and found nothing." Tenzin said.

"That's because he has a secret factory." the old man answered.

"Where?" Korra asked.

"It's right underneath the Sato mansion."

...

The crew was currently on an airship of the metalbending police department heading for the Sato mansion. Tenzin and Lin were discussing the action they were about to make and the possible repercussions.

"Raiding the Sato mansion is a risky move with Tarrlok breathing down your neck. If we're wrong..." Tenzin trailed off.

Lin interrupted him. "I know, I can kiss my job goodbye. But protecting Republic City is all I care about. We can't let Amon get his hands on this new weapon."

After hearing this, Kenai couldn't help but feel the respect he had for this woman to grow. Even if he still didn't like her that much, he definitely respected the fact that she was willing to lose her job, one that she was very fond of, if that meant keeping the city safe. Maybe she wasn't as horribly bad as he first thought.

Deciding to postpone his judgement about Lin for now, Kenai took a sit next to Korra. "Are you feeling alright?"

The Avatar took a deep breath. "Yeah, I feel fine. I just don't know how Asami is going to take the news. First she loses her mother, and now her father supports the Equalists? It's a little too much."

Kenai nodded. "There's not really a lot we can do about it right now. The only thing we can do is support her and be there for her after all of this is over."

|Sato mansion|

Bolin, Asami and Mako were relaxing in the living room, eating fruit and reading the new edition of the Future Industries magazines. It had been a rough week for them ever since Korra and Kenai left them. Mako was angry at them, but he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't miss them at all. Kenai and Korra were good friends before all this trouble started. He recalled what he said to Kenai when they were arguing a couple of days ago, about him not being man enough to take other side than Korra's. In reality, he didn't mean that at all and he knew it was anything but the truth, but he was too pissed off at the moment to measure his words. Mako sighed, wishing this nonsense to stop.

That wish, however, went unheard as a metalbending squad crashed into the room along with Tenzin, Kenai, Korra and Lin.

"What are you doing here?" Asami asked irritated.

"We have reason to believe there's a factory hidden below the mansion." Lin answered.

"I think I would've noticed if there was a factory underneath my house! The lies you people come up with just to persecute my father."

Tenzin stepped in. "Where is your father?"

"In his workshop, behind the house." Asami replied glaring at the aged airbender.

With this said, the metalbending squad reached the workshop mentioned and secured the perimeter. When they confirmed the area was clear, everyone entered the workshop. The place was empty, with nothing but tool boxes in a couple of shelves, a few unfinished sketches of Satomobiles in a drawing table and a Satomobile yet to be finished. There was no sign of recent activity in the room.

"Dad? Hello?" Asami called her father. Silence was her answer.

A metalbending officer reached Lin. "Chief, the estate has been secured. No one has left the workshop since we arrived."

"Perhaps we just couldn't see him leaving." Lin replied as she placed herself at the middle of the room. Next thing she did, she kicked the floor retracting the metal sole of her boot. Everyone stayed quiet, recognizing the Chief's technique as the seismic sense used to scan the area through vibrations. "There's a tunnel beneath the workshop running deep into the mountain side." she declared after a minute of concentration.

"What? There's no tunnel." Asami assured.

Lin replied by metalbending the floor, opening a large rectangular hole that revealed an underground stairway that descended deep into the ground until it reached an elevator platform.

"Wow. Do you think your dad knows about this tunnel?" Bolin whispered to Asami.

"I-I don't understand. There must be an explanation." Asami said shocked. What was the meaning of this? Why would her dad have this hidden tunnel? And maybe even more important, why didn't he told her before?

"Maybe you don't know everything about your father. I'm sorry." Korra said.

Even if she tried to deny it, something was telling Asami that what Korra just said was true. That feeling scared her.

"Officers, into the tunnel. Be cautious." Chief Beifong commanded. The metalbending squad nodded and proceeded to enter the tunnel, followed by Tenzin, Korra and Kenai. Asami, Mako and Bolin tried to enter as well but Lin stopped them. "Uh-uh. You three stay up here. Officer Song, keep an eye on them." she said as they leaved. The last thing she needed right now were more civilians interfering with her job. The only reason she let Kenai go with them was because she knew the boy well enough to figure out he would join them anyways, even if it meant leaving the guard she placed unconscious. Hopefully, these other three would be a little more cautious.

|Hidden factory|

As the elevator finished going down, the bending group reached a big bright entrance. Once they entered, they found themselves in a wide chamber that appeared to be some sort of factory. In the roof there were hanging several banners with the face of Amon in them. There was no doubt about it now. Hiroshi Sato, founder and owner of Future Industries, was indeed working with the Equalists.

"Not your average backyard workshop." Lin commented.

"And I'm guessing those are the new weapons." Korra added as she pointed to the machines on the side of the room. These machines were large humanoid robots about 16 ft. tall with tweezers for hands.

"Hiroshi was lying alright, but where is he?" Tenzin asked.

Suddenly, a large wall appeared beneath the floor, quickly blocking the entrance and obscuring the chamber. Lin instantly reacted by trying to metalbend the wall away, but nothing happened. A voice echoed through the room as a series of lime-green lights started flashing from the humanoid robots. "I'm afraid you won't be able to metalbend that wall, Chief Beifong. It's solid platinum. My Mechatanks are platinum as well. Not even your renowned mother could bend a metal so pure." the voice said as the now active Mechatanks surrounded the group.

"Hiroshi, I know you were a lying, no-good Equalist!" Korra shouted. "Come out here and-"

"And do what, young Avatar? Face the wrath of your bending? No, I think I'll fight from inside here, where my odds are a little more... equal." Hiroshi said from inside his Mechatanks.

"That source was a set-up. You lured us down here!" Lin accused him.

"Guilty as charged."

The Mechatanks attacked, sending metal hooks out of their tweezer hands. The group quickly evaded the hooks and dispersed themselves from their position. With now more ground to use at their advantage, the metalbending squad worked in pairs to neutralize the Mechatanks by using their cables to restrain them. Lin dodged a hook directed to her and used her earthbending to jump at the head of the Mechatank that just attacked her. Revealing the secret blades from her wrists, Chief Beifong started to cut through the Mechatank's head, hoping to reach the Equalist using the machine. Her relentless attacks worked, for the chi-blocker inside was too busy dodging Lin's blades that he didn't realized he was going backwards until the machine lost its balance and fell.

Korra and Kenai were fighting against another Mechatank. Kenai was using his airbending to push the machine back so it couldn't fight back while Korra was using her firebending to damage the robot. They were aided by Tenzin, who threw strong air blows to keep their attacker at bay. Three other metalbenders were struggling to restrain a Mechatank with their cables. The humanoid robot grabbed the cables attached to him with its tweezers and sent an electrical discharge that reached the metalbenders, electrocuting them to unconsciousness in a matter of seconds. Lin noticed this and tried to aid her squad members, but she was caught off guard as a hook grabbed her by the back and threw her into the ground, leaving Chief Beifong unable to move.

Tenzin, Kenai and Korra were now fighting the Mechatank Hiroshi Sato was in. Their constant attacks were succeeding, for the Future Industries founder couldn't reach them. However, a second Mechatank joined the combat. Korra was unaware of the second robot and was not able to sense its hook coming at her before it was too late. Korra was smashed into a big machine from the factory and was knocked out.

"Korra!" Tenzin and Kenai shouted. The two airbenders went into her aid, but one of the hooks from the Mechatanks caught Tenzin and electrocuted him, leaving the son of Aang in a similar condition from the one the Avatar was in.

Kenai kneeled to inspect Korra. She was unconscious and had a few scraps on her, but luckily she was going to be alright. Holding her close to him, Kenai placed in a more comfortable and secure position before reaching his uncle to check up on him.

"Well, I'd say that was a near flawless test-drive." Hiroshi confidently said now out of his Mechatank. "Load everyone into the transports and deliver them to Amon!"

"Like hell you will! You're going to pay for this, you traitorous bastard!" Kenai yelled, fury flowing freely through his veins. No matter what it took, Kenai was going to punish that man for his betrayal.

Hiroshi laughed amused. "Looks like someone doesn't know when to give up. It's a shame, really. If only you were a non-bender, I would have definitely liked you. But oh well, I suppose it is what it is."

"Stop it right there!"

Both the airbender and the Sato Equalist turned their heads. Asami, Mako and Bolin had arrived to the scene.

Mako approached Kenai and held Korra while Bolin did the same with Tenzin. Asami just stood there, incapable of believing what she was seeing. It was true. Her father was an Equalist supporter just like Korra had thought.

"Sponsoring out team, supporting the Avatar, it was all just a big cover." Mako said angered by Hiroshi's treason.

"Yes. And the most difficult part was seeing my daughter together with a firebender street rat like you!" Hiroshi replied as he activated his gloves.

"Dad, stop!" Asami shouted with tears threatening to fall from her face. "Why?"

The Sato Equalist lowered his hands. "Sweetie, I wanted to keep you out of this for as long as I could. But now that you know the truth, please forgive me. These people, these benders, they took away your mother. The love of my life. They ruined the world!"

"And you think whipping out every bender is the solution? Are you going to hunt down thousands of people because one bender took away your wife?" Kenai asked narrowing his eyes. "I think your wife would be disgusted with you."

Hiroshi snapped. "Shut up! You know nothing, absolutely nothing! The only thing you benders care about is making life miserable for the rest of us!" he yelled before focusing his sight on Asami. "But with Amon we can fix that and build a perfect world together. We can help people like us everywhere." Hiroshi said taking his right glove off and offering it to her daughter. "Join me, Asami."

Asami hesitatingly walked towards her father. Slowly, she grabbed the electrical glove and placed it in her hand.

"No." Mako whispered.

"I love you dad." Asami said. Before anyone could react, Asami placed her hand on Hiroshi's chest and activated the glove. Hiroshi screamed in pain before falling into the ground.

The two Mechatanks remaining, who were in automatic mode, charged against the group. "Let's get out of here!" Mako said still holding a now conscious, but weakened Korra. Lin and Tenzin were now conscious as well and were helping the rest of the metalbending squad. Everyone was now near the exit hole Bolin made and were ready to leave.

Everyone except Kenai.

"Kenai, get out of there!" Tenzin yelled.

However, Kenai did not move. Instead, he went into a horse stance and opened the palms of his hands. In a couple of seconds, Kenai was holding two grey spheres of the size of a soccer ball (A/N: I know soccer doesn't exist in LOK, it's just to give you an idea about their size.) on his hands. These spheres were surrounded by a white light and were whirling at a tremendous speed, the sound of piercing air echoing throughout the place.

"W-What is that, Tenzin?" Korra asked shocked.

"I... I have no idea." Tenzin answered just as astonished.

Trying to figure out what in the name of the Spirit World was her boyfriend doing, Kora remembered something Kenai said to her not long ago.

 _'When strong enough, air can become wind. Wind does not only blow, it can also cut.'_

"No way." Korra said to herself.

In an amazing display of speed, Kenai charged against the Mechatanks still holding the whirling spheres. Once they were close enough, the humanoid robots threw their hooks at Kenai. Just before the hooks could get to Kenai, he jumped using his airbending to blow air out of his mouth to the ground, effectively evading the hooks. As he descended, Kenai raised his hands and pointed the spheres at the Mechatanks. Letting out a loud and aggressive roar, Kenai reached the robots and buried the spheres into them, piercing through the platinum and creating a huge hole in both of them. The Mechatanks exploded and Kenai fell to the ground.

"Wooooooooooooooooooow." Bolin said in awe.

When the smoke coming out of the once-functioning Mechatanks dissipated, the crew expected to see Kenai standing up and running to join them. What they saw was a completely different thing.

Kenai was in the ground trying to get up, but failing to do so. His body and face were suddenly covered in sweat. The bandages on his forearms were absolutely disintegrated and his hands and forearms had cuts in them. The cuts were not very deep but they were a lot. His entire body was shaking and his skin color was paler than usual. Just when his shape couldn't look any worse, Kenai started coughing small amounts of blood. He couldn't seem to catch his breath as two blood threads were coming out from both sides of his mouth.

Korra was panicking. "Kenai!" she shouted as she reached her boyfriend, followed by Bolin and Mako.

"I'm... I'm f... I'm fine." Kenai managed to say as he tried to regain his breath.

"Fine? You're anything but fine! Just look at you!"

The airbender grunted as he was held by Mako and Bolin from his arms. The pain he was feeling right now was extreme. His whole body was burning and his muscles were giving him the impression of being torn. The bending brothers brought Kenai to the exit as fast as they could while trying to avoid causing him any more pain. After a long and tiresome escape, the group finally reached the squad's airship outside the factory.

Once they were at a safe distance, Kenai was placed in an emergency stretcher and one of the officers started to patch him up as best as he could with a first-aid kit. Chief Beifong was resting in another stretcher right next to the one Kenai was in. Tenzin and Korra were keeping them company while Bolin and Mako were comforting Asami, who was crushed after learning the truth about his dad and being forced to attack him. She was aware by now that her relationship with her beloved father was never going to be the same, maybe even nonexistent.

"My actions almost cost us our lives and our bending. Tarrlok was right. I failed. First thing in the morning, I'm handing my resignation." Lin said.

"No! You can't give up like this!" Tenzin exclaimed.

"I'm not giving up." Lin explained. "I already told you protecting Republic City is all I care about. But I won't risk any more lives in this. From now on, I'm gonna' do it my way... outside the law."

At the same time this was going on, Mako approached Korra and Kenai. He decided to start with Korra. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. It's just that Asami's dad being an Equalist is not an easy thing to believe. Even now…"

"I know. I'm sorry this whole thing happened." Korra replied in a sad tone.

"Sooo, does your offer to live in the Air Temple still stands?"

Korra smiled. "Of course it does. And Asami is welcomed too."

Mako thanked let out a relieved sigh. He wasn't so sure Korra would forgive him that easily, but her kindness had proved him wrong. He now faced the airbender. "Kenai, I'm sorry about what I said to you the other day. I was angry at the moment and wasn't thinking straight. You think you can forgive me?"

Kenai laughed a little. "Only if you forgive me as well. I shouldn't have said those things about you being with Asami. Deal?" he asked as he weakly opened his hand for Mako to shake.

"Deal." Mako said with a smile as he grasped Kenai's hand just a little too hard for him.

"Ouch! Be careful with the hand, please!"

"R-right. Injured hand. Sorry." the firebender apologized while rubbing the back of his head.

Tenzin narrowed his eyes. Whatever his nephew did back at the factory, he would have to explain it. Something was telling him Kenai had a few secrets of his own, and he was determined to find out what they were. But not now. It had been a crazy day for everyone and he was not an exception.

The next day, however, was going to be a different story.

* * *

That's chapter 6 for you. Sorry for the delay, but I hope you find this chapter entertaining.

Peace


	7. EXPLANATIONS

CHAPTER 7: EXPLANATIONS

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

Kenai woke up in the morning feeling a little dizzy. He looked at his hands covered in bandages from the middle of his forearms to the tip of his fingers, reminding him of what he did last night at the Sato Estate.

With his curiosity getting the better of him, Kenai started to carefully unwrapped the bandages of his left hand. When the airbender reached his wrist, he stopped and observed his injuries. There were a couple of small scars here and there and there was no doubt his palm and fingers were in a similar condition, but it wasn't so bad. The cuts would certainly heal completely over time and his finger's mobility and dexterity did not appear to be affected. As long as he didn't force himself too much in the following days he knew he would be fine. Besides, he could go to the South Pole and ask Katara for a healing-session if he wanted to.

Still, he felt sore and tired. Kenai slowly stood up from his bed and opened his closet. Today he didn't felt like putting on his usual clothes, so instead he decided to wear sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt, a pair of sandals and his red Air Nomad coat. This attire was more comfortable than his everyday pants and jacket and it has been a while since he wore them, so he thought he might as well give his everyday clothes a holiday.

Just as he reached the door to exit his room, Tenzin entered.

"Hey, good morning uncle." Kenai said.

"Good morning Kenai." Tenzin replied seriously. For some reason that Kenai couldn't quite comprehend, his uncle seemed a bit annoyed, like a father about to scold his son for a prank he just committed. "Would you follow me please?"

Even though it was a question, Kenai felt like he just received an order given by the United Forces General. Confused by his uncle's strange behavior, Kenai followed Tenzin as they silently walked through the Air Temple. The young airbender felt strange. There was a sensation of awkwardness he couldn't get rid off, no matter how much he tried. Normally, Tenzin and him would make some small talk in the morning and discuss about whatever they felt like. Witnessing his uncle having such a cold and serious demeanor towards him with no apparent reason was plain weird.

A couple of minutes later, the two airbenders reached Tenzin's office. It was a small room filled with history books and ancient scrolls, decorated by a couple of simple paintings that were hanging on the walls. In the middle of the room there was a big desk made out of oak bark next to a chair. Tenzin took a sit and gestured his nephew to do the same with another chair across the office. Once the both of them were sitting, Kenai started to talk. "Ok uncle, what's going on here? Why are we at your office?"

"Kenai, I am going to be straight-forward with you: I want you to explain what that thing you did last night was."

The young airbender mentally slapped himself. He should've known Tenzin would interrogate him about his technique. It's not like he regret doing it at all. It was a life-threatening situation and he wanted to ensure the safety of those around him, but he didn't think very much about the future explanations. After all, his uncle had no knowledge of his nephew's chi-techniques until last night.

He decided to start slow. "It was a chi-technique."

"A chi-technique?"

"Yes. What I basically did was to concentrate large amounts of air in the palm of my hands, rotating at very high speed and shaping the air gathered into spheres. In order to keep the rotating spheres placed in my hands, I used my chi to cover them. That way, the spheres don't lose their shape and I am able to hold them. The air that's concentrated within the spheres is spinning so fast that it pierces its way through the target upon contact." Kenai explained as best as he could.

After a moment of silence, Tenzin spoke up. "Where and how did you learn this... chi-technique?"

"I learned it by myself here in the island. I started working on it a couple of years ago and it has been improving over time. As for how I learned it, I suppose through hard work and experimenting. I don't know much about the airbending techniques of the past, but from what I have read from the library there's no information about this one. It's a possibility that I might have invented a new airbending technique." Kenai said with a proud smile.

"After you used this technique of yours, your body ended up suffering severe damage." Tenzin stated with a frown. "Care to explain that?"

Kenai's smile dropped. "Oh yeah, about that. You see, chi-techniques are usually very taxing on your body. It takes years of training to have a body strong enough to deal with the repercussions, and even then is not easy. For example, the air spheres that I made were fairly big and held a lot of raw power. Maintaining this technique is very hard, and because of the acceleration produced, the air inside becomes even more unstable. The cuts in my hands are proof of that. But don't worry, with a little more practice I'll be able to get that technique down. The only reason I ended up this busted is because I was forced to make two spheres, and big ones at that. The strain is considerably smaller when I make just one."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, Kenai."

"Huh, what do you mean it's not going to happen?" Kenai asked visibly confused.

Tenzin stood up from his chair. "I mean that you are not allowed to use or practice those chi-techniques of yours any longer. Not only are those techniques way too dangerous, but also they fail to represent what true airbending is."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you uncle, but that's not going to happen. I have to keep on improving my skills. Besides, it's my bending." Kenai said defending himself. This conversation was starting to get annoying.

However, the son of Aang was not finished. "Kenai, this is not open for discussion. You have been given a unique gift and you're making a mockery out of it. I want you to stop it."

"Excuse me? How am I making a mockery out of airbending?" Kenai asked offended as he also stood up.

"All of your life, you have used your airbending in ways that you shouldn't." Tenzin started to say. "I have done my best to guide you but you don't seem to comprehend what true airbending is. Instead, you have ignored my teachings and misguided your bending as far away as you could. But maybe it was my fault. Maybe I should have been stricter with you from the beginning. However, that does not excuse neither your behavior nor your attempts to belittle the most important aspects of airbending. That chi-technique you did last night is a perfect example of what I am talking about."

Now Kenai was starting to get angry. "And what is true airbending, uncle Tenzin? Is it what it says in those scrolls? Is it what your father taught you? I already told you I may be an airbender, but I'm not an Air Nomad like you or the kids. You always say that air is the element of freedom, yet you don't want me to feel free with my bending at all. You have no right to insult my airbending, no matter how much you despite it."

"Silence! I had enough of listening to your nonsense. What do you think Kayi and Yonfeng would say to you?"

"What my parents might say about me has absolutely nothing to do with it! In fact, I don't even know if they care anymore! When was the last time they actually asked about me? Do you have any idea how long has it been since I actually heard about them? I haven't seen them in ten years! Ten years Tenzin! For all I know they might not even remember me! I... I even have trouble remembering their faces sometimes." Kenai snapped both angry and sad. He always kept telling himself that his parents loved him and that he'll see them again someday, but every day was getting harder to believe that. Ever since he started to learn airbending, his goal and drive was to make his parents proud. He would do that by being the best airbender he could become. But what was the point of making their parents proud if they were never around?

Kenai took a deep breath before starting to talk again. "You're like family to me, Tenzin. You and Pema have always been there for me and I have come to love the both of you. But that doesn't mean I don't miss mom and dad. They are always on my mind. So please do yourself a favor and never again try to use my parents against me. It's painful enough to have to live in the uncertainty, and you involving them in things like this doesn't help. Have a good day uncle." With that said, Kenai turned around and left the office.

Tenzin just stood there, not being able to reply to his nephew. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "If only you were here, my friend."

* * *

As Kenai was making his way to the kitchen, he saw Korra coming out of her room. "Mornin' Korra."

Korra smiled. "Mornin' to you too. How did you sleep?"

"Fine." Kenai muttered.

Korra instantly frowned. "Well that didn't sound like fine to me. What happened?"

"I just had a little fight with Tenzin. He said that I'm making a mockery out of airbending and basically told me to stop because I don't comprehend what true airbending is." Kenai responded annoyed.

"What? Why would he say that? Your airbending looks amazing to me."

"Because he's so focused on the teachings Avatar Aang taught him that he fails to realize that I'm not like him. He hates the fact that I don't use my airbending like he does. It's not my fault that I wasn't born an Air Nomad. Then he..." Kenai said before stopping.

"He did what?" Korra asked concerned. Her boyfriend was normally calm and confident, so seeing him hesitating was certainly unusual.

The airbender sighed. "He asked me what my parents would think of me."

Hearing those words, Korra bit her lower lip. Pema once told her to avoid asking too many questions about Kenai's parents because it was a sore subject for him. She herself knew what it felt not being able to see your parents for a long time. And even though she was away from her family for a longer period of time, the White Lotus did allowed Tonraq and Senna to come visit her every once in a while. Sure, it wasn't nearly as often as she would've liked, but it was still something. Kenai, on the other hand, hasn't seen his parents for the last ten years. She could only imagine what that felt.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Korra asked as she gently grabbed Kenai's hand with her own.

"Nah, it's ok. It's just that... (sigh) Never mind." Kenai said unsure of himself. Korra wanted to keep pressing on the matter, but ultimately decided to let it go for now. It was obvious that Kenai didn't want to talk about it any further and she didn't want to bother him. She just nodded in understanding and the both of them made their way to the docks, where a ship could be seen heading towards the island.

|Air Temple docks|

"You're finally here!" Jinora exclaimed as a ship stopped at the temple docks. Asami, Bolin and Mako came out of the ship carrying bags and stepped on the island, where Kenai, Korra and Tenzin's children were waiting for them. "Welcome to Air Temple Island!"

"Your new home!" Ikki added.

"Yes, welcome to my domain!"

Who else but Meelo.

"Well aren't you sweet little monk child?"

Who else but Bolin.

The airbending kids were then distracted by Pabu. After Jinora explained them what Fire Ferrets are and where do they reside, Ikki and Meelo tried to catch the poor animal. Mako approached Korra and Kenai. "Thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move."

"Yes, they're amazing." Asami agreed. "Such tireless workers."

'Yeah, you can say that again.' Kenai thought as he looked at two unfortunate Air Acolytes carrying Asami's baggage, a total of ten boxes of different sizes. 'No seriously, how do you keep all of that in your closet?'

Mako knew what Kenai was thinking. "Trust me, it could've been worse."

"You're kidding, right?"

The Avatar spoke up. "It's alright; everyone here wants you guys to feel welcomed."

As they started walking to the temple, Asami noticed the little airbending kid, Meelo she thought was his name, staring at him with wide eyes and a goofy smile. Not knowing what was he thinking, Asami smiled back awkwardly. The awkwardness only increased when Meelo opened his mouth. "You're pretty. Can I have some of your hair?"

"Looks like you have some competition." Kenai said teasingly to Mako, who smirked in return.

Ikki turned around to face the rest of the group. "And now for the grand tour! The Sky Bisons sleep in those caves down there!" she said pointing to her left. "And that's the temple Grandpa Aang built!" she said pointing to her back. "And that's the small farm where we plant the vegetables we eat!" she said with a big smile as she finished the 'grand tour'.

"I have a couple of questions." Bolin said looking thoughtful. "Is this an all-vegetarian island? Is that where you train airbending? Do we have to wear Air Acolytes clothes? Do we each get our own Sky Bison? And final question: How many trees are on this island?"

Kenai shook his head. 'This guy can give Ikki a run for her money.'

The little girl thought for a second before answering. "Yes yes no no 10.552."

The answer seemed to stun the guests, but Mako recovered himself from the impression. "So, where are we going to stay?"

"You're a boy. Boys have to stay on the boy side." Meelo responded.

"I'd be happy to show you the men's room." Jinora offered.

The oldest of the airbenders around gave a sly smirk to his younger cousin. "Jinora, didn't aunt Pema told you it's impolite to flirt with our guests?"

Jinora started blushing like there was no tomorrow. "I-I-I'm not flirting! I-I'm just being nice, t-that's all!" she said embarrassed.

"Jinora loves Mako! Jinora loves Mako!" a certain bun-haired girl shouted.

"Sh-Shut up! I'm not i-in love with Mako!" Jinora roared as she quickly grabbed Mako's hand and left the scene before any more teasing could be done. Bolin figured out that since he was a boy so he should follow them as well.

"Meelo, why don't you go with the boys too?" Korra suggested.

Meelo stared at Asami before leaving. "We shall meet again soon, beautiful woman." he declared.

As Meelo reached the boy's group, Korra lead Asami to her room along with Ikki and Kenai. On their way to Asami's new compartment, Ikki looked at Asami. "Asami, did you know Korra whispers Kenai's name when she's sleeping?"

Asami clamped her mouth with her hand and tried hard not to laugh. "Really? I wasn't completely aware of that." she said between giggles.

Korra gasped and also clamped her mouth, but it wasn't to hold any laughter. Far from it! Kenai could've sworn there was a hidden bloodbender nearby because it looked like all the blood on Korra's body was being gathered in her head. "Ikki, that is so not true!" the red-faced girl yelled.

"Yes it is! But why do you do it? Is it because you love him so much you even dream about him?"

Korra refused to answer. Instead, she grabbed Asami and Kenai from their wrist and started to walk as fast as she could with her head down so nobody could see the furious blush on her face. 'Note to self: Start sleeping with adhesive tape on my mouth.'

Finally they reached Asami's new room. The place itself was very simple; it consisted of a small room with a bed, a little table next to the bed with a lamp on it, a closet, a big open window with a great sea view and a desk with a chair next to the closet. Before Ikki could enter, Korra closed the doors right in her face. She heard a muffled 'Hey!' coming from Ikki. "Run along, Ikki!" Korra responded. Turning around to face Asami, the Avatar started talking. "Soooo, here's your room. I know this is a little rustic compared to what you're used to."

"I think it's charming." Asami assured her. "And the best part about it, nothing here reminds me of my father. Thank you both for your hospitality."

Just as Asami finished her sentence, someone started knocking on the door. Korra growled and turned around. "Ikki, I swear if you don't leave us alone I'm gonna-"

The door opened and Tenzin walked inside.

Korra shut her mouth immediately and went pale. "Tenzin, please come right in."

Tenzin entered the room. "Good day ladies. Asami, welcome to the island."

"Thank you for having me." Asami replied as they both bowed.

Now Tenzin looked at Korra and started to talk, completely ignoring the presence of Kenai. "Beifong's replacement, Saikhan, is going to be inducted as the new Chief of Police later. I think we should both be there."

"Sure, that sounds good. Just let me show the place to our guests and I'll be ready." Korra said. Tenzin nodded and left the room, once again refusing to acknowledge the existence of his nephew. Not even a small glare was shared between the two airbenders.

|Republic City|

"It was an honor serving under Chief Beifong for so many years, and I wish her a speedy recovery. It is with great humility that I take her place as the new Chief of Police." Saikhan announced to the crowd gathered outside of the Police Department. Said man was accompanied by Korra, Tarrlok, Tenzin and the rest of the Council by his left and right side. "Republic City is facing a threat like none the world has ever seen, but there is one man that has been effective against Amon's revolution: Councilmen Tarrlok. That is why for all matters involved with the Equalists, I will report directly to him."

Both Tenzin and Korra's eyes widened after hearing Saikhan's statement. This was bad, very bad.

"The Police Department will lend any and all available resources to the councilmen's task force until we quell this insurgency."

Korra crossed her arms and gave Tarrlok a dirty glare. "What is that Weasel Snake Tarrlok up to now?"

The airbender did not respond, but it was safe to say that he was thinking the exact same thing. After Saikhan's announcement and when almost everybody else was gone, Tenzin approached Tarrlok. "Tarrlok, I don't know what you did to get Chief Saikhan on your pocket, but I highly doubt it was legal."

"Oh Tenzin, always the conspiracy theorist. Did you ever consider that Saikhan simply recognizes my talent and wants for what's best in this city?" Tarrlok retorted smugly. That was when Korra approached him. "Avatar Korra, long time no see. Now that your little Pro-bending distractions are over, I look forward to your return to my task force."

"Ha! Forget it. There's no way I'm joining your vanity project." Korra said.

"That is unfortunate to hear, but I'm sure you'll come back to your senses as you have in the past."

Korra glared at him. "Don't hold your breath, pal. You know, Tenzin's been right about you all along. You played me, you played Beifong and now you're playing the new Chief too." She said as she now stood closer to the council member. "Well I got news for you. You need me, but I don't need you. I'm the Avatar."

"You are not, in fact, the Avatar. You are merely a half-baked Avatar in training. Which reminds me, how is your airbending going? Have you made any significant progress?" Tarrlok asked as Korra lowered her head and gritted her teeth in frustration. "I didn't think so. If you are not going to join my task force, then you'd best get out of my way."

With that said Tarrlok turned around and left an angered airbender and a highly-frustrated Avatar behind.

|Air Temple Island at night|

Kenai was starting to get worried. His uncle and Korra had returned to the island after the new Chief of Police announcement but he was yet to see his girlfriend. It was unlikely that she had left the island, or else somebody would've known. He had already asked everyone for Korra's whereabouts, but nobody had seen her since she arrived.

Well... Everyone but Tenzin, that is.

Swallowing his pride, Kenai approached the aged airbender who just happened to be wandering around in the gardens of the temple, where Kenai was currently in.

"Uncle." Kenai said once he was close enough.

Tenzin turned around and gave his nephew a neutral expression. "Kenai."

Kenai sighed. "Listen, I know we're still a little angry at each other for the argument we had in the morning, but I need you to tell me if you know where Korra is. I haven't seen her since you two arrived. I'm worried about her."

Realizing that Korra's mental welfare was very important and sensing his nephew's worry behind his words, Tenzin decided to put their differences aside for the time being and softened his expression. "I don't know where she is, but I know how she's feeling right now. After Chief Saikhan's announcement as the new Chief of Police, me and Korra had some words with Tarrlok. In the end, he said some very hurtful things to Korra and left her very doubtful about herself. I believe you should talk to her, Kenai."

The younger airbender nodded his thanks and left the temple garden in search for Korra. As he was doing this, he pondered about what Tenzin told him about Tarrlok and how he said hurtful things about Korra. Kenai knew Korra wasn't the type of person that would feel sorrowful just because someone said to her some mean words, so whatever it was that Tarrlok said to her, it must have been not just unkind, but downright cruel. Kenai's blood started to boil at that thought. He could care less if Tarrlok was an important figure of the city; he was going to get payback one way or another. How? He had no idea, but where there's a will, there's a way.

After a while, Kenai was walking near one of the extremes of the island. Suddenly, he heard a little sound coming from the other side of the bushes. Normally, he would dismiss whatever that was and suppose it was an animal squeaking or something. But because he was alert, he was able to tell the difference. This was not an animal squeak.

It was a sob.

Fearing for the worst, Kenai quickly went through the bushes. When he got to the other side, he felt both glad and worried at the same time.

He felt glad because he found Korra sitting near the end of the island.

He felt worried because she was crying.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Kenai said as he approached his girlfriend. Korra looked at him and quickly wiped her tears with her hand so Kenai wouldn't see her crying. She didn't want to look fragile in front of her boyfriend, for it was not her nature. But Kenai quickly grabbed her hand as he took a sit next to her. "Tenzin told me what happened earlier."

"He did?" Korra asked in a mix of shock and sadness.

Kenai nodded. "Yeah. Well, sort of, really. He told me that Tarrlok said something to you and that you were not feeling very well. You wanna talk about it?"

Korra stayed in silence for a minute before muttering something too low for Kenai to hear.

"What was that?"

"I'm a failure."

The airbender was stunned for hearing such statement. "What? What could possibly make you think that?"

Korra looked at her boyfriend with a sad face as tears were coming out again from her blue eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I must be the first Avatar that can't airbend. All of this time I have been training to get it right, but I'm just not able to." she said lowering her head. "Who needs a useless Avatar anyways?"

"Korra, you are not useless. What did Tarrlok said to you that made you believe that nonsense?"

"He said I was a..."

"A what?" Kenai urged her to continue.

"... A half-baked Avatar because I can't airbend." she said as she started to cry once again.

Kenai instantly pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Korra buried her head in Kenai's chest and let her tears stain his coat. She didn't notice it, but Kenai was slightly trembling out of rage. He was clenching his fists so hard that some of his wounds on his hands opened again, staining his bandages with blood a little. His first impulse was to grab Sozu and beat Tarrlok into a pulp, but sanity prevailed. Right now, Korra needed comfort and reassurance. He hated seeing her so sad and unsure of herself, and he was determined to always make her feel better.

The pair stayed in that position for some time. When Kenai felt that Korra was somewhat better, he separated her head from his chest and looked at her now red and puffy eyes. It was in that moment that he decided to make her feel better even if it meant having to lose some face. "Korra, do you remember that time you were angry at yourself because you couldn't get past the spinning gates?" he asked. Korra looked at him and nodded, not really sure where this conversation was going. "Do you remember how much time I said it took me to get the exercise done?"

The Avatar sniffled back some tears and did her best to calm herself. "You said three months, right?"

Kenai nodded. "I lied to you that time. It didn't take me three months... It took me a little longer than a year."

A pair of blue eyes widened in shock, and just before Korra could say anything, Kenai spoke up. "When I started to learn airbending, I was a complete joke. It didn't matter how much I trained, I simply couldn't improve. As much as I wanted to deny it, I felt like maybe I should just quit airbending forever and go back to my home. There were times when I could hear some of the Air Acolytes whispering about the new kid that came to live on the island and how much of a failure he was. In more than one occasion, I would quit the airbending lessons with Tenzin, hide in the forest and cry out of frustration. I thought I was useless, a complete waste of time for my uncle." he said. Taking a deep breath, Kenai continued. "However, I refused to give up. I realized that my desire of making my mom and dad proud of me was bigger than my irritation, and so I began working harder than ever. It was difficult and extremely challenging for me, but in the end I overcame my shortcomings as an airbender and proved wrong all those who doubted me."

Korra was in awe. She simply couldn't believe her ears. To her, Kenai was the kind of guy that never doubted himself, the epitome of confidence. She also knew Kenai was prideful to a degree when it came to his airbending, so for him to open himself up like that and admit he was a failure at first must have been really difficult.

"What I'm trying to say to you, Korra, is that I know how frustrating airbending can be, but you shouldn't doubt yourself because I know you can pull it off. If you ask me, the Avatar is not the person who's able to bend all four elements, but the one trusted by the Spirits to maintain the balance in the world. I think the Spirits trusted in you because they knew you would be strong enough to bring peace, with our without airbending."

"How do you know that I'm strong?" Korra asked looking for some wisdom.

"How do I know? Because I've seen what you have to deal with. I see a girl not even past her twenties that has to face both the Triads and the Equalists. A girl that had to spend most of her life away from her family and society just so she could protect the world better. A girl that had to sacrifice a lot of things so others can sleep better at night. But most important of all, I see a girl that not only acknowledges her deepest fears but is also willing to face them. That's why I know you're strong. That's why I know you can and will learn airbending if you give it your all." Kenai said. Next thing, he placed his right hand on Korra's left cheek, leaned closer and gave her a warm smile. "And that's why I'll always be there for you when you need me. You have no idea how happy I am to be with you."

Korra said nothing at first. Instead, she made a small but genuine smile and wrapped her arms around Kenai's neck. Kenai was caught by surprise but quickly returned the embrace. He felt glad that he was able to lighten her up in her time of uncertainty. Even though he had to reveal some memories he was not particulary fond of, the feeling of having Korra in his arms was more than enough for him.

As for Korra, she was still crying. But those tears were no longer of sadness or self-pity, they were tears of happiness. Knowing that Kenai was always going to be there for her and that he had 100% trust in her was a feeling she couldn't get enough of. Kenai always knew what to say to make her feel better, to make her believe in herself when she couldn't. He was one of the first persons to see her as Korra, not just the Avatar. He took the time to listen to her and understand her like nobody else had done before. Sometimes, she wondered what had she done to deserve such a good boyfriend. "Thank you, Kenai. I really mean it." she said as she proceeded to express her gratitude the best way she could, getting closer to him and reaching his lips with hers.

The kiss, unlike the ones they used to share, was delicate. There was no tongue involved, no jaw kisses or seductive talk. However, it was the best one they had shared so far. They were expressing their feeling to one another without any momentary heat of desire or hormonal interference. It felt a lot more mature, but just as enjoyable as the rest. In one word, it was romantic.

Once the kiss came to an end, Kenai gave his girlfriend a cocky smirk. "And Ikki wonders why you whisper my name in your sleep." he said, earning him a cute blush on Korra's face and a punch to his shoulder.

"There you guys are! We've been looking everywhere for you two!" Bolin said coming out of the bushes with Pabu in his hands, followed by Asami and Mako.

"What are you doing here?" Mako asked the couple. "It's getting late and Tenzin was getting worried."

Kenai grinned. "It's ok, we were just talking about life and stuff. Sorry for the trouble."

Asami analyzed Korra thoroughly. By the look of her eyes, she looked like she must have been crying. But there was also that slight blush on her face and a smile that expressed undeniable joy. If she had to guess, Korra must have been sad over something and Kenai came to her rescue with words of comfort. 'And maybe they shared something more than just words.' Asami thought deviously. That faint glow on Korra's lips indicated a recent... interaction with someone, which could explain her smile as well as her blush. Not wanting to ruin their tender moment together any further, she raised her voice. "Well, all that matters is that we found you."

"Yeah. Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for being here." Korra said. "It's really nice to have you guys around."

Bolin, Asami and Mako looked shocked. "Are you kidding me?" Mako asked. "We should be the ones thanking you. After all what happened between us, you guys still came to our help."

"That's right. You two are absolutely wonderful!" Bolin exclaimed while pointing at Korra and Kenai.

"If it wasn't for you, I would still be living in ignorance, thinking that my father is a wonderful and peaceful man. I owe you, for helping me to open my eyes." Asami declared.

Everyone gathered up as Kenai started talking. "You see, Korra? You've changed people's life for the better. And we can change so many more, as the new Team Avatar."

Mako nodded. "We got your back, Korra. Together, we can save this city."

"Team Avatar, huh?" Bolin asked placing his fingers in his chin. "I like it! I'm in!"

Now it was Asami's turn. "I'm gonna do everything I can to atone the wrongs my father did. You can count me in as well."

Kenai looked at Korra. "What do you say, Korra? You up for the challenge?"

Korra smiled before nodding with a determined face. "I'm up. Let's do this!"

|Air Temple entrance|

"Get ready, Republic City. You're about to be patrolled by Team Avatar." Bolin said as the rest of the new Team Avatar regrouped outside. Kenai was now wearing his usual clothes, the only difference being that his bandages covered his hands as well as his forearms.

Team Avatar's firebender stepped in and looked at his girlfriend. "Asami, you always know how to accessorize your outfits." Mako commented with a smirk while placing his hands on his hips. Asami was wearing her usual jacket and pants, but now she incorporated the Equalist glove on her right hand that Hiroshi gave her.

"I figured one way to fight Equalists is using Equalist weapons." Asami responded before activating the glove.

"Alright, let's ride." Korra said. However, when the five of them attempted to ride Naga at the same time, the Polar Bear Dog threw them out of her back due to overweight. How Kenai didn't expected that, he had on idea whatsoever. "Alright, scratch that. Any other ideas?" Korra asked the group.

"We could try to ride Sozu, but he can only bring two of us. Also, I'm the only one besides Korra that he allows to have on his back and the plan is that we stick together. And if that wasn't enough, he's feeling really grumpy today so I suggest we don't bother him." Kenai said.

"Mmmmhhh, I think I have an idea." Asami said with a smile.

|Future Industries test track|

The Team Avatar went to the Sato Estate, much to their perplexity (except for Asami). When they got there, Asami told the rest that she remembered a new toy that could prove to be useful. Even though nobody understood what she was talking about, they still followed the Sato girl. The place she was talking about was the test track they visited a couple of days ago. Once they arrived, Asami entered a small garage and a minute later, she appeared outside driving a shiny new black/white/red Satomobile sports car.

"You think this will do?" Asami asked with a smirk.

Bolin, Korra, Mako and Kenai smiled and went inside the car. Asami was driving, Mako was the co-pilot, Bolin was sitting behind Asami and Kenai was sitting next to Bolin.

"Wait a minute, where do I sit?" Korra asked.

Only then did they realize that the Satomobile only had four seats available. Most sports cars had only two, but this one was supposed to be part of a new line of design Hiroshi Sato planned to introduce to the market next year. With this in mind, Kenai tried to solve the problem at hand. Asami was a good driver and the only one with a driving license for that matter, so changing seats with her was out of the question. Changing seats with either Bolin or Mako was pointless because the problem would still remain. So, there was only one choice left.

"I guess you don't have much of a choice, Korra." Kenai said smiling.

|Republic City|

"This is so embarrassing." Korra said for the twentieth time. She was practically forced to sit on Kenai's lap in order to fit inside the car. It's not like she didn't like it. She had already sited on Kenai's lap in a couple of their hot make-out sessions in the past and she couldn't deny she enjoyed it quite a lot. But that was because they were alone, not in a moving car surrounded by her best friends! The fact that Kenai was finding the whole thing amusing wasn't helping either.

"Sorry Korra, there wasn't another way." Kenai said grinning from ear to ear.

Korra shot him a deadly glare. "You get that smile out of your face right now if you know what's good for you."

Kenai gulped. "Yes, ma'am." However, when Korra wasn't looking at him, he was smiling happily.

Just then, a voice coming out of the radio announced that the situation they were dealing with was a false alarm and that all units must return to the station. Everyone wondered what was that about until Asami explained. "My dad always installed scanners all over his cars. I guess now I know why." she said disappointed.

That was when another message was displayed from the same police radio frequency. "Calling all units. Situation at sector 45 area 8. Officers down. Chi-blockers in sight, armed and dangerous. Last seen in Mayor Street. Repeat, all units to Mayor Street."

Without waiting for the team's approval, Asami quickly turned right on the street and hit the gas pedal, ignoring the complains of the other drivers near her. It didn't took them long to spot a big truck with four motorcycles in its sides.

"Chi-blockers!"

"That's them!"

"Let's get em'!"

Asami hit the gas pedal and started to chase the Equalists on the road. In the middle of the persecution, a large truck appeared and blocked their way. Korra quickly had an idea. "Bolin, give me a ramp!" she said as she stood up and earthbended a ramp on the street with Bolin just before the two vehicles crashed into one another. The idea worked and the car went right over the truck, landing in the other side of the street.

Mako then aimed at the chi-blocker motorcyclist in front of him and shot a lightning bolt. The attack caught the Equalist off guard and made him jump out of his motorcycle. Not wanting to be outclassed by his brother, Bolin bended a stream of rocks and threw them at another chi-blocker. One of the rocks went inside the vehicle's gas tube, producing a malfunction in the motorcycle. The Equalist couldn't react in time and was sent flying out of his seat.

The last two motorcyclists turned on a switch placed on the throttle of their vehicles and a large cloud of smoke started to spread towards Team Avatar. Kenai reacted by standing up from his seat and sending a powerful wave of air, dissipating the smoke and making the chi-blockers lose control, which ended up in both of them rolling in the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Asami press the gas pedal and placed herself right next to the truck. Mako then shot a lightning bolt at the driver, who screamed in pain before crashing into a light pole and a brick wall, thus ending the persecution.

* * *

FLASH

The sound of cameras taking pictures could be heard in the entire street and the reporters were already thinking of the new headline for tomorrow's newspaper. 'Team Avatar stops Equalist assault.' could be one of them. Team Avatar was standing beside a group of tied-up chi-blockers on their knees, allowing themselves to be photographed. Kenai didn't thought that bringing too much attention to themselves was a brilliant idea, but it send two important messages to Republic City: That the Avatar was present and that she did not had any need for Tarrlok's task-force to do her job.

'I just can't wait to see Tarrlok's face when he sees this.' was Kenai and Korra's thought.

Soon enough, Tarrlok and his task-force came to the scene, and the council member did not look amused at all. Kenai smirked and turned to face Korra. "Ready for a little payback?" he whispered.

"You bet." Korra responded with a smirk of her own.

"Avatar Korra, what do you think you're doing here?" Tarrlok asked with a frown once he reached the couple.

"Oh hey Tarrlok. Nice of you to show up, finally. Here, we caught the ex-convicts for you." Korra said pointing at the prisoners.

Tarrlok glared at her. "What you did was to tear up the streets and prevent the city's law-enforcers to do the job they are rightfully tasked with."

Korra placed her fingers in her chin, making a thoughtful expression. "That's funny, I didn't see your little task force or the cops the whole time. If it wasn't for Team Avatar, they would've gotten away."

"Not bad for a... What was it? Oh yeah, a half-baked Avatar. Wouldn't you agree, Tarrlok?" Kenai asked amused. Watching the cunning and confident council member losing his patience was certainly delightful for the airbender, especially when he was part of the reason of his anger.

"This is your last warning: Stay out of my way." Tarrlok adverted before walking away with his taskforce and the reporters, who already had as much pictures as they wanted.

The Avatar just stood there smirking with Kenai, who made sure that everyone but their friends were gone before hugging his girlfriend from behind. Korra gasped at the unexpected touch but quickly realized it was Kenai, thus relaxing in his embrace and leaning her head into the right side of his chest. "You really showed him up, didn't you?" Kenai asked grinning.

"Of course I did." Korra cockily proclaimed.

|Next day at night|

Bolin, Mako, Asami and Korra were currently waiting inside the 'Avatarmobil', as Bolin liked to call it, waiting for any criminal movement to be advised by the radio. As they were making small talk between one another, the police scanner was activated.

"All available units. Please respond to the situation in development at sector 3 area 11, Crimson Dragon Avenue. Equalists have taken over the streets, consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution."

"Looks like we have another Equalist rally to interrupt." Korra said smiling in anticipation. Last night, she showed Tarrlok that she didn't needed him or his task force to get the job done. Team Avatar was more than capable enough to handle anything they might encounter.

Mako smirked. "You can say that again." he said before turning on the radiophone and talking. "Hurricane, this is Thunder. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, over." Kenai said as he was flying with Sozu.

The radiophone was a new invention Hiroshi Sato had been working for the Equalists. It was an electronic device that worked like a radio and a telephone, enabling the users to communicate with one another over low to medium distances. Asami found the prototypes inside the sports car and tried them with Kenai while the airbender was riding Sozu. The little experiment was a success and now they had a member of Team Avatar watching their backs from the skies in case things got messy. None was gladder than Korra, who was now entitled to an actual seat in the Satomobile instead of Kenai's lap. Kenai's lap was for make-out sessions and nothing more.

Of course, Kenai insisted in using nicknames. He argued that it wasn't safe to use their actuals names because there was a chance that their conversations might be recorded in an Equalist base, but truthfully he just liked the nickname Hurricane. It suited him due to his airbending nature. Korra was Tsunami, Bolin was Earthquake, Mako was Thunder and Asami was Speed Queen.

"There's a thing going on in Crimson Dragon Avenue. Looks like an Equalist rally or something. We're heading there, over."

"Copy that. Hurricane is on his way, over."

"Oh oh oh, can I do it now?" Bolin asked excited.

Mako shook his head. "Sorry Bo, this is not a toy." he said, making the earthbender pout.

|Crimson Dragon Avenue|

Kenai landed in a secluded street just before entering Crimson Dragon Avenue. As he jumped out of Sozu, he examined what in the Spirits World was going on. Mako said something about an Equalist rally, but all he saw was a crowd shouting at police officers, none of them making a single hostile attempt towards the metalbenders. He also noticed that the power was out, for there was no light in the streets except the ones coming out from the vehicles of Tarrlok's task force.

'So Tarrlok got here first. He better have a good reason for this.' Kenai thought. "Alright Sozu, stick around and call me if you see anything suspicious. Don't do nothing that might attract you any attention unless you absolutely have to. I'll blow a whistle if I need your help."

The almighty bird squealed in understanding before parting away.

Now that Sozu was gone, Kenai approached Korra who was speaking to Tarrlok in a tent. "You have no right to treat these people like criminals!" Kenai heard her say.

"Korra, what's going on here? Why are these people being harassed?" Kenai asked.

"Tarrlok is trying to imprison them because they are non-benders! He thinks they are Equalists!" Korra responded.

The airbender glared at the council member. "I thought your job was protecting the citizens, not threatening them. Have you lost your mind?"

Tarrlok returned the hateful glare. "My job is to protect the citizens from the Equalists. This is an Equalist rally!"

"They are not Equalists, they are just normal people who want their rights back." Asami argued.

"They are the enemy!" Tarrlok said pointing at the crowd behind them before facing the metalbenders. "Round up all of these Equalists!"

Following their leader's command, the metalbenders stood in line and used the barriers holding the crowd to separate them into groups and trap them while others made platforms out of the earth beneath their feet to hold the groups in the air. The rest of the crowd panicked and left the scene in terror. Korra decided to put an end to this nonsense and earthbended the platforms back to the ground. Tarrlok growled and his gaze was now directed to Asami.

Before anyone could react, Tarrlok send a water whip to the Sato girl and immobilized her. "Hey, let me go!"

"You are under arrest!"

Mako was in disbelief. "What? You can't do that!"

Tarrlok smirked at the firebender. "Actually, I can. She's a non-bender out past curfew and her father is a known Equalist conspirator." he explained.

"Being a non-bender is not a crime! And just because Hiroshi is an Equalist doesn't mean she is as well!" Kenai said furious. He really couldn't believe this guy. The council member was now a madman with power, and in his book, there were few things more dangerous than that.

"Let her go, now." Mako warned.

"Arrest him and his brother!" Tarrlok ordered to his task force. The metalbenders instantly shot their cables at the bending brothers and trapped them.

"Tarrlok!" both Korra and Kenai shouted. Korra lifted to giant rocks and Kenai raised his palm aiming at the council member.

"Unless you want to join your friends in prison, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple."

Mako looked at the Avatar and the airbender. "Korra, Kenai, listen to him. It's not worth it."

Korra and Kenai hesitated for a moment before reluctantly lowering their hands, causing the rocks to hit the ground hard and break themselves. Kenai was struggling with himself, for he wanted nothing more than to just send an air blast to the council member's face and sent him flying all the way to the Earth Kingdom, further if possible. But he couldn't do that right now, not when his friends were involved in this mess. Besides, he was still trying to keep his airbender nature a secret, although he had a feeling the secret was going to be out rather sooner than later. But it wouldn't be today.

The task force pushed the so called 'criminals' into the police trucks. "We'll be alright." Bolin assured his friends as he was getting inside the vehicle.

"Don't worry, we'll call Tenzin! He can get you out." Korra shouted back. The couple couldn't do nothing but watch their friends go to jail, and it hurt them. It hurt them to feel so powerless not because they couldn't do anything, but because of the consequences that they would bring upon themselves if they did something. That pain only made them angrier.

But what really made their blood boil was Tarrlok, who kept pressing his luck by taunting them. "It's so sad to see your little 'Team Avatar' broken up. You had a good run." he mocked.

Korra glared at him. "This isn't over, Tarrlok."

"Oh, I believe it is."

Kenai placed his hand on Korra's shoulder. "Don't mind him, Korra. He's nothing but a pathetic little man trying to cover up his obvious failure as a leader."

"What was that, boy?"

"And he's also deaf, apparently. Come on, let's go see Tenzin." Kenai said as he grabbed Korra's hand and started to walk away. This was going to be a long night indeed.

|Republic City Headquarters|

As Tenzin walked inside the Police Headquarters, he saw Kenai and Korra trying to catch the attention of a police officer, who simply ignored their call and walked inside the interrogation room. "I came as fast as I could." he said once he was close enough to the duo. "Are your friends alright?"

"We have no idea, uncle. These idiots won't tell us anything." Kenai stated more than a little exasperated by how things were going.

The aged airbender saw Chief Saikhan walking by. "I'll take care of this. Chief Saikhan! A word please."

Chief Saikhan slowly made his way to Tenzin. "Councilman Tenzin, I'm very busy at the moment. Can this wait?"

"No, it cannot. Three of Avatar Korra's friends were wrongly arrested tonight. I'd like you to release them immediately." Tenzin demanded.

"They are not going anywhere. They were interfering with police business." Chief Saikhan responded.

Korra was starting to lose whatever patience she had in herself. "Your so called 'police business' was rounding up innocent people and claiming they were Equalists! They should be released too!"

The metalbender shook his head. "All Equalists suspects are being detained indefinitely. They'll be released if and when the task force deems they are no longer a threat."

"But the only evidence you have to back your claim is the fact that they are not benders! Following that logic, every non-bender in Republic City is an Equalist suspect. Even children were involved in this! Just how desperate is Tarrlok?" Kenai exclaimed while clenching his fists. To him, Tarrlok was almost as big a threat as Amon. The fact that they were supposed to be allies and not enemies only made things more frustrating.

Tenzin nodded at his nephew's words. "And besides, those people are entitled to due process under the law. You should know that better than anyone, Chief."

But Saikhan just gave them a shrug. "You'll have to take that up with councilman Tarrlok."

"Oh, I plan to. At the Council meeting first thing in the morning." Tenzin responded. And with that said, he gestured the Avatar and his nephew to leave with him.

However, Korra would not leave without saying what was on her mind first. "You're officially the worst Chief of Police ever!" she said while grabbing Saikhan's chin.

Kenai joined her right away. "You're nothing but Tarrlok's puppet. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want that granny to be Chief of Police again. At least she did have some common sense, unlike you."

"Calm down, you two. I'll get this sorted out, we just need to be patient." Tenzin said as he started to leave with the two of them. Suddenly, he stopped dead on his tracks and faced Saikhan. "But you really are the worst! Ever!"

As soon as they were outside, Kenai looked at his fellow airbender. "Hey uncle."

"Yes Kenai?"

"What you said at the end... was awesome."

"I have my moments."

* * *

|Air Temple|

Korra, Kenai and Tenzin made their way back to the Air Temple after a fruitless attempt on getting their friends back. Tenzin assured them he would do everything in his power to give the wrongly accused prisoners their freedom back as soon as he could. He was afraid that Korra would do something rash, and knowing his nephew, he would join her even if just to prevent her from doing something extremely dangerous. After warning his two students, he went to sleep.

Kenai walked Korra to her room. He wanted to have some words with her before leaving her alone. "Hey Korra, I know this is gonna be hard for you, but I want you to promise me that you won't do anything too risky right now, not without telling me first."

"What? You know I can't do that. My job is basically doing risky things, if you haven't noticed." Korra responded.

"I know, but right now we really can't afford to do something stupid, not in the situation Asami, Bolin and Mako are. One more screw-up and Tenzin might not be able to get them out."

"But what about Tarrlok? If I don't do something he'll keep on arresting innocent people!"

The airbender sighed. "I know, and that's why we have to stop him. And believe me; I want to smack that guy up and down just like you. But Tarrlok won't hesitate to make our friend's life even more miserable if that means he'll stop us. Please think about it ok?"

The Avatar tried to argue back, but couldn't find any arguments. In the end, she gave in. "Fine." she muttered.

"That's my girl." Kenai said with a smile before giving Korra a small kiss on her right cheek. "Good night Korra."

"Good night." she said not too thrilled as she entered her room.

2 hours had passed, and Korra still couldn't sleep. Her mind was too busy thinking about Asami, Mako and Bolin. She couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated knowing that they were spending their time in jail partially or maybe even only because Tarrlok held a grudge with her. If Tarrlok would at least be man enough to keep things between the two of them, everything would be so much bearable. But noooooooo, he just had to involve her friends in this. They were completely innocent for crying out loud! The other thing that really bothered her is that, knowing the Council and how much of a manipulator Tarrlok was, It would probably take months to get them out of jail, even with Tenzin speaking on her behalf.

Opening the window of her room, Korra observed Republic City and couldn't help but imagine Tarrlok laughing at her misfortunes from his office. That thought angered her. Korra was not patience and she knew it. She didn't wait for answers to reach her; instead she stood up and went looking for them.

And that was exactly what she was planning on doing.

Gently rubbing her head, Korra woke up her Polar Bear Dog. "Wake up, Naga. Let's go."

As she walked out of her room, Korra slowly opened Kenai's door to check if he was sleeping. Thankfully, he was. The room was dark and Kenai was carelessly snoring his way to a peaceful dream.

"I'm sorry Kenai."

|6 hours later, Kenai's dream|

Everything was a moving blur. Clarity was non-existent. It wasn't sunny, nor was it dark. It wasn't warm, nor was it cold. It didn't felt neither good or bad. Everything was... normal. Fiercely normal.

He tried to rub his eyes, but nothing seemed to change. It was like it was meant to be a messy place.

In the distance, Kenai could see a figure coming to him. He didn't feel threatened. Why should he? He just felt extremely confused. How could he not?

Before anything else could happen, the mysterious figure was already at his side, whispering words that make Kenai's eyes go wide in shock.

"M-Mom?"

And everything went black.

Kenai woke up catching his breath. He felt a mix of emotions running through his head. The voice of that mysterious woman was unmistakable as well as her words.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.' Even if he couldn't see her, he would recognize her voice anywhere. It was Kayi, his mother. But what was the reason behind the dream? Was it a dream at all? It felt more like a... warning.

'What the hell was that about?' Kenai thought unable to fully process the experience.

The voice of Tenzin threw him out of his train of thought. "Kenai! Wake up! Something terrible happened!"

Quickly he stood up and opened the door. The face of Tenzin was the embodiment of panic and worry. "Uncle? What's going on?"

"Korra has been kidnapped by the Equalist!"

|Council Chamber|

Tenzin and Kenai made their way to the Council Chamber, the place where every Council meeting took place for their reunions, and the place where Korra was supposedly kidnapped by the Equalists.

Now Kenai was not one to panic easily. His uncle taught him that a very important aspect of being an airbender was to learn how to keep one's emotions in check in order to find peace and tranquility. However, peace and tranquility was exactly NOT what Kenai was feeling at the moment. A million questions were wildly taking the place of Kenai's usually cool and relax demeanor. 'Korra was kidnapped? How? When? Why here?' and a ton more questions like that. But the one he kept thinking the more was this one: 'Why didn't I save her?'

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

Kenai gasped after remembering those words. It all made sense now! That wasn't just a strange dream; it was a premonition, a warning from her mother regarding Korra. But why his mother? And what did Tarrlok have to do in any of this? Korra was kidnapped by the Equalists.

Right?

Upon entering the crime scene, it was more than clear that a fight had taken place there. The ground was shattered and almost every wooden chair of the room was destroyed. Tenzin approached Tarrlok, who appeared to be bruised and had several cuts on his arm. A waterbender was healing his injuries. "What happened? What was Korra doing in City Hall?"

Tarrlok stood up. "As I already told Chief Saikhan, Korra came to my office late last night. She was upset that I arrested her friends. She asked me to release them and... That's when the Equalists attacked. I tried to protect Korra, but we were severely outnumbered. Then, I was electrocuted. When I woke up, the police had arrived, but Korra was gone. I'm so sorry." he said as he lowered his head.

'Damn it, Korra! I told you not to do anything stupid without at least telling me!' Kenai thought irritated. "Was Amon here when that happened?"

"I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure. I was knocked out before the fight came to an end. There were chi-blockers, that much I'm certain. But I don't know if Amon took part."

That was when Kenai noticed Tarrlok's bruises on his body. There were only a few and they were healing fast thanks to the waterbender healer, but that was not what Kenai was interested in. From what he had seen in his encounters with Amon's henchmen, chi-blockers relied on speed and accuracy in order to block the chi points in the human body, and that was what Kenai couldn't understand. Bruises were caused by hard impacts to the body, like a jab to the face for example. So why Tarrlok had bruises if he was attacked by chi-blockers? He could understand Tarrlok's burn on his arm, product of an Equalist electrocuting him, but that didn't explain the rest. Also, there were a few things that were sketchy now that he thought about it.

"Chief Saikhan." Kenai said now focusing his gaze on the new Chief of Police. "At what time did the police force arrived here?"

"We received a call from an anonymous witness that reported a series of shouts inside the City Hall, along with the sound of a Satomobile leaving the scene at high speed. An investigation squad arrived here ten minutes later and requested backup as well as medical aid to treat councilmen Tarrlok's injuries." Saikhan replied.

Kenai pondered about this new information. 'The anonymous witness said something about a Satomobile leaving the place. That was most likely the Equalists escaping the City Hall. So that means that the police arrived here ten minutes later after the fight was over. Ten minutes is more than enough time to retrieve some evidence, like that Equalist glove on the ground. Why would they leave that thing behind, knowing that it might work as a lead towards them? It doesn't make sense.'

'And in that case, why would they leave Tarrlok here as well, instead of taking him with them? Leaving him here means that he will continue to be a threat to them with his task-force. Taking away Tarrlok's bending would be a perfect message from Amon to Republic City as well as capturing Korra, so why didn't he?'

'Lastly, how did the Equalists knew that Korra was going to be here? She didn't told anybody as far as we know. A plan on kidnapping Korra should be organized and well-executed, not some random attack on City Hall leaving not only evidence but Tarrlok as witness as well. Unless there's a mole working close to the Council, which I highly doubt, this doesn't looks like something the Equalists did. But if it wasn't them, then who?'

"Chief Saikhan, mobilize the entire police force. We have to find the Avatar." Tarrlok declared.

|Air Temple|

While Tenzin was in his office making calls and alerting every influential figure of Republic City he knew, Kenai was in Korra's room wondering what to do to find her. The feeling of helplessness was tormenting to him. He didn't have a single clue he could use, his friends were in jail and the police efforts to find her were fruitless. His frustration could only grow bigger by every minute as he pondered about Korra's whereabouts.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

The words of her mother were rumbling in his head. Having enough of this, Kenai went to Tenzin's office to ask him about his premonition. At least maybe now he could make some sense of what he heard.

Kenai opened the door of the room where Tenzin was. "What is it, Kenai? I already told you that there have been no significant advances on Korra's search."

"Uncle, I need to speak with you about something I believe it's very important."

The aged airbender nodded and gestured Kenai to take a seat. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

The younger airbender sighed. "While I was sleeping, I had a strange dream. A strange dream that I think it was some sort of vision or warning. I don't remember every detail, but in my dream, my mom appeared and talked to Me." he started to say.

Tenzin now was visibly surprised. "Are you absolutely sure it was your mother?"

"Yes. I couldn't see her, but I could recognize her voice. I'm certain it was her."

"And what did she say to you?" Tenzin asked.

"Just four words: Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok. When I woke up, you came to my room and told me Korra was kidnapped. I don't know what to think of it and it's been eating me up inside." Kenai said frustrated.

Tenzin made a thoughtful expression. "Given the circumstances, I think it's safe to say that it was no coincidence. What you experienced was indeed a premonition regarding Korra's abduction. However, what I don't understand is what does Tarrlok has to do with the warning."

"I was thinking about the same thing. And regarding the kidnapping, I'm not sure anymore if the Equalists were the ones behind this." Kenai said, shocking his uncle with his answer.

"What do you mean by that, Kenai? There is enough evidence to say it was Equalist doing."

"Exactly. There is way too much evidence. Amon's henchmen would never do such a messy job by leaving that much evidence behind. Not when they had enough time to cover it." Kenai started to explain. "Also, how did the Equalists knew when and where was Korra going to be? Unless there is a mole working on the City Hall, I don't see how they could've known. According to Tarrlok, when Korra came to his office late at night, the only ones who were remaining in the building were himself and his secretary. The police force already interrogated Tarrlok's secretary and determined that she had no part in this."

"I must say, kid. You're smarter than what I first gave you credit for." a voice said from behind. Up until this moment, neither Tenzin nor Kenai noticed the group of people listening to the conversation. Lin, Asami, Bolin and Mako were standing near the door. Lin was wearing her usual metalbending armor beneath a grey coat that covered it.

"Guys? I thought you were in prison!" Kenai exclaimed.

Tenzin frowned while pointing at Lin. "And I thought you were in the hospital!"

Lin, however, was not alarmed by Tenzin's outburst. "I figured you could use our help in finding Korra."

"Do you have any leads?" Mako asked.

The son of Aang stood up. "Unfortunately, I've been on the phone all morning, but nothing yet."

The firebender persisted. "What about Naga? She can track Korra!"

"I'm afraid her Polar Bear Dog is missing as well."

"Then where do we start?" Bolin asked.

"My guess is that the Equalists are hiding underground, in a mace of tunnels beneath the city." Lin said.

Asami frowned heavily after hearing this. "Underground, just like my father's secret factory. Figures." she bitterly muttered.

Bolin nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. When those chi-blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel."

Mako looked thoughtful for a minute before an idea came into his head. "I know where to start looking. Come on." he said as everyone started to leave. Kenai, however, remained in his seat. "Kenai, what are you waiting for? We have to find Korra!"

"I know but it's just that... I need to go meditate first." Kenai said as calmly as possible.

Everyone in the room looked at him like he just grew a second head. "Meditate? How is that going to help us find her?" Bolin asked the question that was wondering in everyone's mind. Tenzin was just as dumbstruck as the rest, but taking into account what they just discussed he decided to support his nephew's idea.

"I agree with Kenai. This morning, he had a vision regarding Korra's kidnapping. Maybe by meditating more things will be revealed to him."

"Look, I'm aware that I might sound crazy right now, but this is something that I have to do. I'll catch you guys later." Kenai firmly declared before leaving the room, not giving the chance to his friends to protest.

For some reason, that dream he had made a great impact on him in more than one way. There was this little voice in his head that was begging him to meditate about this, and he obliged. Once he reached a secluded area of the temple gardens, he took a seat on the soft grass and made the Lotus position of meditation. He started by taking deep breaths and closing his eyes, letting his body catch his own rhythm as he did so. Soon his mind was in a state of peace and clarity, one that he never felt before in his life. If he had to describe the feeling in one word, the only thing he could come up with was... detached. He wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore. Time was now something irrelevant, almost non-existing.

After what felt like a couple of minutes to him, Kenai started to see an image in his head. Blurry at first, the image continued to slowly reveal itself until it was crystal-clear. In his head, he saw a cabin hidden in the snowy mountain. Next thing he saw was Naga, who was in the middle of the snow sniffing the ground trying to find her master. Finally, the last thing he saw was Tarrlok, driving a Satomobile and making his way to the cabin. After that, everything went dark.

Kenai opened his eyes and started to gasp for air. The experience was so real and unexpected that he forgot to breathe for a moment. It took him a while to realize he had been meditating for hours now, for the once clear sky was now obscure and the moon had taken the place of the sun.

'Kenai... Korra... Danger... Tarrlok.'

Now everything was truly clear. The premonition he had was a warning that Korra was in danger from Tarrlok! She went looking for him last night, they fought and Tarrlok was somehow able to win against Korra and abducted her. Now, Korra was being held somewhere in the mountains while Naga was looking for her and Tarrlok was making his way to her.

'So Tarrlok was the traitor all along.' Kenai thought infuriated. 'When I get my hands on him...'

He went to his room and putted on the same puffy jacket he wore when he first met Korra at the South Pole, along with a pair of black gloves. He also prepared a bottle full of water in case she needed it. When Kenai was ready to go, he went to Sozu's bird nest and woke him up. "Sozu, we need to go to the mountains. Korra is missing."

Sozu opened his eyes and woke up from his slumber. 'I swear, brat. That female of yours can't keep herself out of trouble for more than one day.'

"Yeah, you can say that again. Come on, we have to find her as soon as possible. Her Polar Bear Dog shouldn't be too far away." Kenai said as he mounted Sozu. The poor bird squealed his annoyance out and started to flap his wings, gaining altitude little by little before launching himself towards the mountains.

|Mountains|

1 hour had passed since Kenai and Sozu reached the mountains looking for Korra and Naga, and they were yet to see either of them. The wind was blowing hard, making it difficult for the search party to distinguish what they were looking at. Even with Sozu's enhanced sense of observation, something inherent in all Raven Eagles and especially Alfas, the task was indeed a tough one. What made things even more problematic was Naga's white fur that made her even harder to tell apart from the snow.

'Hey brat, are you absolutely sure that your female is here somewhere?' Sozu asked.

"Yes I'm sure. And would it kill you to call her by her name? In case you forgot, which I highly doubt, her name is Korra." Kenai answered.

Sozu let out an eagle-like scoff. 'Like I care. I don't know what you see in her anyways. What is so special about her?'

Kenai didn't hesitate to answer. "Everything. She's beautiful, strong, kind and passionate. Sure, she has some flaws and all, but those flaws are what make her unique. Yet still..."

'Still what?'

"I just can't help but feel guilty if something happens to her. She's strong and she can take care of herself, most of the time at least. But that doesn't change the fact that I feel responsible for her somehow. It's like I have no one else to blame but myself if she is in danger like she is right now. Maybe I'm being a little overprotective of her, but I can't help it."

'What do you want me to tell you? She's the Avatar. Her life will involve dangerous situations. If you can't get over that, then your relationship won't last very long.'

The airbender sighed. "I guess you're right. Heh, out of all the living creatures in this world, I'd never thought I would talk to you about my relationship problems."

'Maybe now you will recognize my wisdom and realize you're still nothing but a clueless brat.' Sozu mocked.

"Tch, whatever. Hey wait, I think I saw something!"

'Where?'

"Over there!" Kenai shouted as he pointed with his finger towards a frozen river not so far from them.

The Alfa Raven Eagle descended from his flight and landed near the river. Kenai jumped out of Sozu and turned his head to the trees nearby. True enough, Naga was a couple of meters away, sniffing a tree in hopes of obtaining Korra's scent to follow it. "Naga!" Kenai yelled to the Polar Bear Dog. Naga was startled at first but quickly recognized the scent of Korra's breeding mate (or so did the animal thought he was). She made her way to Kenai and started licking his face in recognition. Kenai then turned to face Sozu. "I'll go looking for Korra with Naga. You check the skies and squeal if you see anything." he said as he mounted the Polar Bear Dog. Sozu squealed in return and parted away while Kenai started to ride Naga.

30 minutes later, the sound of an Alfa Raven Eagle squeal pierced the sky. Both Kenai and Naga look up and they could see a small amount of snow falling from the top of one of the smallest mountains two kilometers ahead. Kenai grabbed Naga's reins tightly and gestured her to follow the sound of Sozu's squeals by tapping her stomach with the back of his heels. Naga understood and started to run towards the dissipating snow.

After a while, the airbender and the Polar Bear Dog reached the place where Sozu landed. At first, Kenai saw nothing, but then he recognized a body lying unconscious on the ground. When he was close enough, his eyes widened.

"Korra!" Kenai shouted as he run towards her. When he reached her, Kenai kneeled and held Korra close. Her cold and shaking body was covered in snow and a little bit of blood was coming out of her wounds, which consisted in minor cuts in her face and arms as well as a couple of bruises. Her lips were dry, indicating lack of hydration. Kenai immediately took off his snow jacket and covered Korra with it before taking out his water bottle. Korra's eyes trembled a little and slowly opened.

"Kenai?" she weakly asked.

"The one and only." he replied as he placed the bottle full of water on Korra's lips. "Here, have some."

Korra's mouth instinctively reached the bottle and started drinking its content, spilling a little water due to her eagerness of having some. Once she finished, she started to gasp for air out of fatigue. Kenai stood up and lifted Korra with his arms before placing her on top of Naga. "Sozu." he started to say. "I'm going back to Republic City with Korra. Can you please watch if anyone is following us?"

'Sure thing, brat.' Sozu squealed before he started flapping his wings.

Kenai mounted Naga from behind, keeping Korra close to him with his left arm and grabbing Naga's reins with his right hand. "H-How did you...?" Korra started to ask but Kenai placed a finger on her mouth, effectively keeping her quiet.

"Don't worry about anything right now. You're safe with me."

The Avatar stared at him for a few seconds before a serene smile was placed in her face. "I know." she whispered as she curled into his warm and comfortable chest. Feeling safe with the strong arm of her boyfriend holding her close, Korra closed her eyes and started to sleep. Kenai tapped Naga's stomach with his heels once again and the Polar Bear Dog started to jog their way to Republic City.

|Republic City|

Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, Asami and Lin were riding Oogi. Their search For Korra was in vain. They were starting to go back to the Air Temple, but then, a loud howl was heard in the streets, reaching the crew's ears.

"That sounds like Naga!" Mako exclaimed. Tenzin nodded and turned left where the howl seemed to be coming from.

In one of the many random streets of Republic City, Bolin spotted Kenai and Korra on top of Naga. "There they are!"

Once they landed, everybody jumped out of Oogi. "Korra! Kenai! Oh thank goodness you two are alright." Tenzin said as he approached them.

"Where's Tarrlok? How did you get away?" Lin questioned Korra.

"Not now, Lin." Kenai answered as he jumped out of Naga before grabbing Korra and carry her bridal-style onto Oogi's back. Nobody said a word as Kenai held Korra close to him while she curled even further into Kenai's chest. With everyone (including Naga) now on board of Oogi, Team Avatar, along with Tenzin and Lin, made their way back to the Air Temple.

* * *

That was chapter 7 for you.

I want to inform you guys that next week I'll be taking a very important test. So don't worry if the next chapter comes a little later than usual.

Constructive criticism (as well as pointing out grammar mistakes) is always welcomed.

I am jido96 from Fanfiction and I wish you a delightful morning, evening or night. Back to you, fuckers.

(Sorry, I always wanted to say that)


	8. THE INVASION OF AIR TEMPLE ISLAND

CHAPTER 8: THE INVASION

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

(Authors Note: Hello everyone. Before we start, I wanted to apologize for not updating in such a long time. I got myself a full-time job for this Christmas season and I've had little to no time to use for my writing. Also, this chapter may seem a little bit rushed, but I wanted to give you something to read. Maybe I'll re-write it once I have the time. Without further excuses, enjoy yourselves.)

|Air Temple, 07:00 AM|

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

'Where am I?' Kenai thought as he woke up from his sleep. He felt his neck, back and leg muscles, especially his buttocks, aching. Looking down, he realized he was sitting on a chair. Letting out a lazy yawn, he raised his right hand and rubbed his eyes as he tried to scratch the back of his head with the other.

However, when he tried to bring his left hand close to his face, something stopped him. Looking at his left, he saw Korra sleeping soundly on a bed at his side. Even on her sleep, her right hand was grabbing Kenai's with a tight grip, refusing to let go.

Kenai smiled wearily as he now understood what was going on. He had brought Korra to her room the other night so she could rest in peace, but he refused to abandon her side. He even refused to have a well-deserved sleep in his comfy bed just so he could stay in Korra's room, opting for sitting on a chair next to her. But he could only stay awake for so long before feeling tired as well, and before he knew it, he was sleeping next to his girlfriend. Of course, sleeping on a chair throughout the night is perfect for getting sore muscles in the morning.

'Guess that shows how much of an amazing boyfriend I am.' Kenai thought with a smirk. That smirk was not meant to last for very long, however, because as soon as he tried to stand up he felt the pain in his body kicking in again.

"Are you alright?"

The airbender turned around and saw Mako and Asami stepping inside the room. He carefully freed himself from Korra's grip and let out a tired yawn. "I'm fine. I was just keeping an eye on Korra to see if she needed something when she awakes."

"You look exhausted. You need to rest a little." Asami said after watching the bags under Kenai's eyes, an unmistakable sign of not having enough sleep.

"I'm not exhausted. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Kenai stubbornly declared.

Mako placed his hand on Kenai's shoulder. "Look, you've been here all night watching over her. Why don't you get some sleep? Me and Asami will look after her while you rest. Is that ok with you?"

Even though Kenai wanted to stay at Korra's side, he couldn't deny that he needed some proper rest. The cramps he was experiencing would only get worse if he stayed like that and the idea of lying on his warm and soft bed was quite tempting. Besides, he knew Asami and Mako would take good care of her in his absence. On the other hand, Mako and Asami wanted to do something in order to somewhat repay the debt they felt they owed. Despite all the trouble and trust-issues that happened between them, Korra and Kenai were still able to put the past behind and offer them a place to stay as well as food. At least they would ease their consciousness a little by doing this.

Finally, Kenai gave in. "Fine. But you have to wake me up when she does."

"Don't worry, we will." Asami said reassuringly. Kenai nodded and left the room.

|5 hours later|

As Mako and Asami were talking about aimless things and life in general, Korra started to slowly open her eyes. She was feeling a little dizzy and tired, but other than that, she was fine.

Before she could figure out who were the ones talking next to her, a sudden flush of memories appeared inside her head. Flashbacks of what happened in the past hours.

'You're Yakone's son!'

'You've never experienced a bending like mine before!'

'I am the solution.'

'You're safe with me.'

With a loud gasp, Korra violently woke up from her bed. Both Asami and Mako jumped out of their seat and reach her, a little startled for the sudden awakening. "Korra, calm down. Everything is fine. We are in the Air Temple." Asami said trying to calm the girl.

"Air Temple?" Korra repeated while placing her hand on her forehead due to a minor headache she was experiencing.

Mako nodded. "Yeah, we went looking for you last night. Kenai found you in the mountains and brought you here. How are you feeling?"

"Like I could eat an Air Bison and still be hungry." Korra responded with a little humor. Truth be told, she really was starving.

Asami giggled a bit while Mako chuckled. "Well at least your sense of humor is alright." she said. "The Air Acolytes left you some breakfast. I'll help you get dress. Mako, would you mind?"

"Not at all." the firebender said as he left the room.

"Hey, where's Kenai?" Korra asked Asami once Mako left them.

"He's resting in his room. He actually stayed with you while you were sleeping. Me and Mako told him that he needed to get some sleep so he wouldn't get exhausted."

Korra was fairly surprised. "He actually stayed with me the whole time?"

Asami smiled. "That's right. And he would've stayed longer if it wasn't for us telling him otherwise. He's a sweet guy, isn't he?"

The Avatar blushed a little. "Yeah, he is." she responded. Yet on the inside, she was worried. She remembered talking to Kenai before leaving to find Tarrlok. Kenai made her promise to avoid rushing into things without at least talking to him before. And what did she do two hours later? Getting herself abducted and worrying everyone to death. Not to mention, if it wasn't for Kenai, maybe she could still be missing by now. She could only hope that Kenai would accept her apology, as little as it was.

* * *

|Dining room|

"This food is delicious, Pemma." Korra stated after taking another bite from a piece of bread she was holding. "I'm finally starting to feel like myself again."

As soon as Korra was able to walk on her own, she made her way to the dining room where Tenzin, Lin, Pema and the rest of Team Avatar (except for Kenai) and literally ate whatever she could get her hands on. Soup, fruit, tea, bread, fish, rice balls, you name it. Korra always had a big appetite, although part of that was because of her Avatar training back at the South Pole. The intensity of her training demanded her to have a diet based on food high on calories, so it was to be expected of her to develop a bigger-than-normal appetite. However, a hungry Korra was a whole different story. Pema could've sworn that girl was capable of out-eating Kenai, and after watching that boy for so many years now, that was quite a feat. She smiled nonetheless. "We are so thankful you're finally safe."

Tenzin coughed. "Korra, I realize you've been through a lot, but I need to know everything that happened."

Korra nodded. "Well, first off, Tarrlok is not who-"

"Mornin' everybody." a lazy voice interrupted Korra's explanation. Everyone looked at the source of the voice, only to find out it was Kenai. Said man walked inside the dining room wearing a loose tank top and dark grey sweatpants. His long and brown hair was messy and he was releasing an 'I really don't care about anything in this precise moment' sort of aura. When Kenai saw Korra sitting at the head of the table, he gave her an easy smile and walked right next to her before taking a seat as well. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better now, don't worry." Korra said with a smile, even though it wasn't entirely true.

For some reason, Kenai wasn't completely convinced of what his girlfriend just said, but he decided to let it go for now. "That's good. So anyways, what were we talking about?"

"Right. As I was saying, Tarrlok is not who he says he is. He's Yakone's son." Korra stated.

Lin and Tenzin look shocked. "It all makes sense now. That's how Tarrlok was able to bloodbend us without a full moon." Lin said.

"Yakone? That infamous crime lord from so many years ago?" Mako inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I've heard about him!" Bolin exclaimed. "He was this evil waterbender slash bloodbender that used to have half of Republic City eating from his hand, like Hog Monkeys eating their fruit from a tree."

Everyone sweat-dropped at Bolin's analogy, but Tenzin stepped up. "Indeed. He was a corrupt and ruthless individual who wanted nothing but power. But that is not our prime concern at the moment. Korra, how did you escaped? And where is Tarrlok?"

Korra looked at the ground before answering. "Amon captured him... and took his bending."

"What?"

"Yeah, he showed up and he almost got me too."

Tenzin sighed. "This is troubling news. Amon is becoming more and more bold. Taking out a member of the Council and almost capturing the Avatar? I believe Amon is entering his end game."

'If that's true, my fight with Amon is closer than ever. He said he would take care of me as well as my family before his ultimate duel with Korra. I have to be alert.' Kenai thought. A couple of minutes later, the conversation concluded and everyone left the room, except for Asami and Pema, who stayed to clean the dishes.

After taking a quick shower and dressing himself, Kenai went outside of the temple to clear his head from all the drama going on. So many things had happened in the past few weeks it was crazy, and that craziness was still far from over. He was worried about Korra, Tenzin, Pema, his friends and his little cousins. Amon had already proved to be merciless, and there was little to no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to harm his loved ones. Pema, although a non-bender, was the wife, mother and surrogate aunt of the current airbenders of the world. That was more than enough for her to become a target. And to make things worse, Pema was close to giving birth to her fourth child, which in turn left her weak and in need of medical attention. If any kind of danger came to her, it could be fatal for both mother and child.

And then there was Jinora, Ikki and Meelo. Those brats were the new airbending generation, or in other words, 3/5 of the current airbending population, ignoring Korra and Pema's unborn child. Taking out their bending would most certainly be catastrophic. The single thought of Amon laying a finger on any of his beloved cousins made Kenai clench his fists in anger. He loved those squirts too much to see them getting hurt. Throughout the years, the three airbending kids came to acknowledge Kenai as a big brother, and they admired him greatly. He was their guardian, and he was going to defend them even if it meant risking his life.

Just as he was entering the temple, he saw Tenzin talking to Lin about something. "Listen Lin, I-I have to ask you a favor. It would mean the world to me... But I know it could be a-a potentially awkward situation. Furthermore..."

"Spit it out already!" Lin interrupted.

"Will you stay here and watch over Pema and the children for me while I meet the Council? With everything that has occurred lately, I want to make sure that my family is in good hands."

Kenai cringed after hearing the request. How desperate could a man be to ask his ex-girlfriend to watch over his pregnant wife and kids? Sure, their relationship had somewhat improved over time, but not to that point.

"Of course I'll help, old friend."

...

'Talk about unexpected.' was the only thing Kenai could think of.

"I didn't realize you two were out here." the suspicious voice of Pema said from behind.

Tenzin looked startled at his wife. "Pema! Ye-Yes, Lin has agreed to help out while I'm away."

Pema gave her love rival a sweet smile. "Well thank you! I could use the extra pair of hands." she said as she handed Meelo to Lin. "Would you mind giving him a bath? He's filthy."

With that said, Pema went back inside and Tenzin mounted Oogi. "This is not what I signed on for!" Lin accused the Council member as she struggled to keep Meelo from pulling out her hair.

"Thank you, Lin! Oogi, yep yep!" was the only thing the Council member said to her before parting. Kenai shook his head in amusement, knowing that the ex-Chief of Police was going to have a wonderful time taking care of Meelo.

|30 minutes later, Team Avatar is currently in the temple's Living Room|

'BOOM'

"What was that?" Asami asked out loud.

"What was what?" Bolin asked once he got out of the bathroom.

'BOOM'

"Oh, you mean that."

Korra stood up from the couch she was sitting on. She had a bad feeling about this. "Let's go check it out." Team Avatar quickly left the Living room and went outside the temple, where the sound of explosions could be heard louder than before. Once Team Avatar reached the outside, they saw Lin was ordering the airbending kids to go back inside the temple. "We heard explosions. What's going on?"

"Republic City is under attack." Lin stated, shocking Team Avatar with those five words. True enough, columns of smoke could be seen all the way to the Air Temple Island, along with small red dots which everyone identified as fire coming out of a number of buildings.

Kenai was the first to react. "Uncle." he whispered to himself before turning to see Lin. "Uncle Tenzin is in Republic City for that Council meeting. He's in danger!"

"We have to help him. Come on, let's go!" Korra shouted as everyone except Lin started to run towards the island dock. Kenai followed as well, but suddenly stopped after his first steps.

Mako looked back at him. "Kenai, what are you waiting for? We have to get to Tenzin!"

The airbender said nothing at first. "You guys go. I have to stay here."

"What? But, what about Tenzin?" Korra asked baffled. She was very well aware that Kenai could be over-protective towards his uncle when he wanted to, and the situation should be more than enough for him to worry about Tenzin.

"I know, but I trust you can get to him. I have a feeling this whole thing is a distraction from Amon just so he can get here. If that happens, what do you think he'll do to Pema, Ikki, Meelo and Jinora?" Kenai asked. Over the years he had learn to trust his instincts, and right now, his instincts were telling him to stay here. "Sorry guys, but I have to stay here just in case something happens." he declared with finality.

Even though they were not particularly happy about hearing that, the rest of the Team Avatar could see the logic behind his reason. Without the Avatar or his friends to watch the temple, the Equalists would have a much easier time invading the place. Not to mention, what would happen if the Equalists did tacked Tenzin's wife and kids away? He would be devastated. With Lin and Kenai, Pema and the kids were much safer.

"Be careful." Korra said to her boyfriend, who nodded in response. After that, the rest of the Team Avatar left in order to find Tenzin, leaving Lin and Kenai as the protectors of the temple.

As soon as they were gone, Lin approached Kenai. "You know kid, you're a lot more mature than what I originally thought."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The first time we met, I wanted nothing but to pound you into the ground for being so disrespectful and annoying. But now, you don't behave like a pain the lower back anymore. What happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me, Lin. You're the one who changed." Kenai responded. "It's like you said. The very first time I saw you, you called me a brat even though I hadn't said a single word to you. That made me angry and I thought of you as nothing more than a grumpy old woman who had nothing better to do than to just insult me, Korra and Tenzin, two people whom I care about deeply. But along the way, I got to see more of you and got to know you better. And even though I still don't like you that much, I don't dislike you either."

Lin couldn't help but smirk. "The feeling is mutual... brat."

"Whatever you say... granny." Kenai retorted with a smirk of his own. "Anyways, I'll go check Pema, see if she needs something. If anything happens, give me a call."

Once he was inside, Kenai went to the kitchen and started to make a tea recipe he knew her aunt loved. In fact, it was the very first tea recipe Kenai ever learned from her. It was a mix of medical herbs used in several other tea recipes and a little bit of vegetables to add flavor. Nothing fancy or anything like it, but it sure got the job done. He also prepared a cup for himself, for he also enjoyed the recipe.

When the two cups of tea were ready, Kenai placed them in a platter and proceeded to walk towards Pema's room where she was resting. Before he could enter, he heard a small scream of pain inside the room. Fearing for the worse, Kenai kicked the door open, just to find Pema sitting on her bed, rubbing her stomach with a painful expression on her face. "Pema, are you ok? I heard you screaming." Kenai asked very worried for her aunt's well-being.

Pema took small breaths before answering. "I'm ok sweetie, honestly. The baby has been kicking a lot recently. It's nothing to worry about." she said reassuringly with a smile.

Kenai allowed himself to release the tension inside of him by letting out a big sigh. "Well, I brought you some tea. Not as good as the one you make but it should do the trick." he said while offering her aunt a warm cup, which she gladly accepted.

"Thank you Kenai, this is really good." Pema complimented her nephew after taking a sip of her tea. "So, how is your relationship with Korra?"

"Good, good. Everthing's fine... I guess."

That caught Pema's attention. "You guess?"

"... Yeah, I guess. It's just that with everything that has happened lately, we haven't had much of an occasion to talk and take it easy. You know, like a couple should do. I know she's the Avatar and all but I still feel like we need time to sort things out. If we don't, I'm not sure how long we can keep our relationship going. And I really really want to be with Korra." Kenai explained.

"Admitting you have a problem in your relationship is the first step to overcome it." Pema said kindly while gently rubbing Kenai's cheek with her hand. "You have to understand that while she is the Avatar, she is also a 17 year-old girl. Even if she doesn't show it, she is also worried about her relationship with you. It's just like you said, you two haven't talk that much recently, so at the first chance you get you should sit and talk about whatever you two are thinking or feeling. I have no doubt that it will clear your head."

The airbender smiled. Pema always found a way to get to him in this kind of things. Her answer was very simple, but at the same time true. Just like she was. "Thanks, auntie. You're the best." Kenai said as he gave Pema a soft hug. She said nothing, but returned the embrace just as kindly with a smile. In times like this, words were not necessary. The warm feeling the two of them felt in their hearts was more than enough.

The two of them stayed like that for a moment before separating themselves. Pema sat on her bed, calmly finishing her tea as Kenai did the same from the other side of the room. While they were talking about aimless things, one White Lotus guard broke into the room. "Miss Lin requests your presence in the small gardens! She says it's an emergency!" he said.

Kenai didn't waste any time and quickly grabbed Pema's arm before leaving the room as fast as Pema's condition allowed them. A few minutes later, both aunt and nephew were in the gardens along with Ikki, Meelo and Jinora. Kenai made his way to Lin, who was standing in front of the airbending family. "Lin, what's going on?" Kenai asked.

"Equalists. An airship is here and there's no doubt that they're here to capture you and the children." she responded pointing at an Equalist airship that was landing close to them. "Everyone has to remain calm. Me, Kenai and the White Lotus guards will deal with them."

Just as she finished her sentence, Pema let out an agonizing scream of pain.

"Pull it together, Pema!" Lin ordered her. "Didn't I just say that everyone has to remain calm?"

"Mommy? W-What's wrong?" Jinora asked her mother.

"The baby... is coming!"

Everyone was stunned by their bad luck. "What?" Jinora asked, unsure if she just heard what she thought she just heard.

"Not now, baby!" Meelo added.

"Are you freaking kidding me!? Why does it has to be now, out of all days!" Kenai exclaimed, not certain if he was mad at the baby for having so bad timing or at fate for being so much of a heartless douchebag. Two Air Acolytes reached Pema and took her to the nursery where she would be giving birth to her fourth son. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo just stood there, not knowing what to do until Kenai's voice reach them. "Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, I want you three to go to your rooms and wait there until I say otherwise. Understood?"

"But what about you?" Jinora asked.

"Don't worry about me. You have to go, now."

"But-"

"NOW!" Kenai snapped at them.

The three kids were so shocked for hearing Kenai yell at them that way that they quickly nodded and went to their rooms, not daring to question their cousin's order any further. 'I'll apologize later.' Kenai thought before preparing himself for an hord of chi-blockers.

Amon's henchmen landed on the island and quickly went up the stairs. The White Lotus guards posted at the top of the stairs replied by shooting rocks, fire and water at them. They were able to land a couple of hits and neutralize some chi-blockers, but a hook coming out of a second airship took care of the guards. 'And those are the ones tasked with the protection of the Avatar?' Kenai thought with a sweat-drop. He had never seen the White Lotus sentries in action before, and he expected them to be individuals skilled enough to give a decent fight to whoever they faced. Yet it only took the Equalists less than five minutes to wipe them out. 'You might as well replace them with Mako, Bolin and Asami. At least they know how to handle these kinds of things.'

As soon as he finished his rant, chi-blockers appeared from the top of the stairs and positioned themselves in a battle formation. "I'll go first." Lin announced as she took a step forward. "You watch my back."

With that said, two chi-blockers started to run towards the ex-Chief of Police in an attempt to block her chi, but Lin replied by shooting her metal cables against them. The two Equalists were caught in the cables and were smacked against each other, rendering them unconscious. Three other chi-blockers went for an attack, but Kenai anticipated their move and threw them back with a strong air blast before they could perform their maneuver.

Lin earthbended two pillars from the ground and threw them to a couple of chi-blockers, who gracefully evaded them by flipping their bodies in the air. One of Amon's henchmen also dodged Kenai's attack and tried to block his chi, noticing that he was not wearing metalbending armor and thus was vulnerable to his physical attacks. However, none of his hands ever got to touch Kenai's arms or torso, for he was just as agile as he was strong. In the end, he was rewarded by a horse kick to the gut, a fist to the jaw and an air blast to the back. Said chi-blocker was out-cold and unable to continue.

'Kid's got some moves.' Lin thought as she used her metal cable as a whip and attacked another Equalist.

Making use of her two metal cables, Lin threw them at the chi-blocker in front of her, which seemed to be the leader of the squad due to his slightly different outfit and his use of two metal sticks as weapons. The supposed leader caught the two cables with his sticks and activated them, sending electrical currents through the cables and electrocuting Lin. Kenai, who was busy dealing with another chi-blocker at the moment, was unable to prevent the counter-attack and couldn't do nothing but watch how Lin dropped to her knees because of the pain she was experiencing.

However, before the squad's leader could deliver the final blow to the ex-Chief of Police, he was caught off guard by Kenai who launched a two-combo air blast at him, pushing him back to where the rest of the Equalists were standing. Once the leader was back on his feet, he addressed Kenai. "Not bad, kid. But you'll need something better than that if you pretend to stand against us." he taunted with a challenging smirk.

Standing on his signature horse stance with his hands near his waist, Kenai did not felt like returning the trash talk. Instead, he looked at Lin. "I seriously suggest you to grab onto something."

Seconds later, air started to surround Kenai's body. A faint, but noticeable white light appeared on his arms, making Lin's eyes go wide. 'That's the same thing that happened in Hiroshi's secret factory! What is Kenai up to now?'

"Get him!" the captain commanded as he charged against the airbender with his electric sticks activated, followed by the rest of Amon's henchmen.

"Kenai, look out!" Lin yelled at the young man.

But Kenai did not move from his place. He stood there with eyes closed waiting for the right moment to strike. When the chi-blocker was 6 feet away from him, Kenai opened his eyes and thrusted his palms forward with a roar. In just a fraction of a second later, Kenai released a massive air wave that pushed back not only his enemy, but the rest of the chi-blockers as well. The impact of the wave was so big that every chi-blocker was sent flying into the air before hitting the hard, unforgiving ground. The Equalist squad was decimated by the staggering force behind the blow, for every member of the Air Temple Island invasion that was at the receiving end of the strike was left knocked out with numerous cuts on their bodies.

Lin found herself gaping at the sight. She had never, in all of her life as Chief of Police of Republic City, seen such a devastating bending attack. And it came from an airbender, the supposedly lovers of non-violence! The irony of the situation was so big, it wasn't even funny. Slowly, she stood up and was about to ask Kenai what in the Spirit World did he just did when she saw said airbender kneeling and panting while a thick drop of sweat was coming out of his temple. Fortunately, the White Lotus sentries had already regained their consciousness and approached the bruised bodies of the chi-blockers. One by one, the island invaders were captured and taken into custody.

Just as Kenai was standing up, still breathing hard out of exhaustion, three little orange and yellow blurs came to his side to help him.

"Kenai! Are you hurt?" Jinora asked, worry evident in her voice.

"That was so cool! How did you do that? Can you do it again? Can you teach me how to do it? And you were glowing! Why were you glowing? Can you teach me how to glow to?" Ikki asked not too worried about the fact that Kenai was still struggling to stand up on his own.

"When I grow up, I wanna' be just like Kenai and blow everything that stands in my way!" Meelo loudly proclaimed.

Kenai looked at the younger airbenders. "You were watching the whole thing?"

All of the three kids had a guilty expression on their faces until Jinora spoke up. "We were worried that you were going to get hurt." she said in a low whisper.

Letting out a sigh, Kenai hugged his little cousins warmly. He wanted to be angry at them for risking their lives, but he just couldn't. He was too tired to do it anyways. "Sorry for yelling at you guys. I just wanted you to be safe."

"It's fine." Jinora assured him. "We're just glad that you're ok."

Once all of the chi-blockers were tied up, Lin addressed the White Lotus sentries. "Take these Equalists and lock them in the temple's basement." she ordered before looking at Kenai, who was now recovered. "Nice work, kid. You really know your airbending."

'Lin is actually giving me a compliment? This one is for the books.' Kenai thought before replying with a small 'thank you' to the woman. 'Can this day get any crazier?'

In that moment, Tenzin and the rest of Team Avatar arrived to the island. "Daddy!" Ikki shouted as she and her siblings went for a hug.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright." Tenzin said as he returned the embrace.

"Kenai caught the bad guys!" Meelo commented as he climbed to the top of his father's bald head.

Tenzin blinked. "You actually fought them off?" he asked his nephew.

Before Kenai could answer, Lin spoke up. "He was the one that engaged most of the chi-blockers. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be captured by now as well as the rest of your family. You should be proud, it's clear that you have taught him well."

After hearing this, Tenzin couldn't help but frown and look at his feet in shame. While it was true that he was his nephew's teacher, he couldn't take much credit out of it. A huge deal of what Kenai knew from his airbending was self-taught, meaning that he had little to no right to brag about how skilled and proficient his nephew was. But the worse part was that it was Kenai's airbending, the one that Tenzin had berated for so long, what saved his family. He could think whatever he wanted to think, but nothing would change the fact that Pema, along with Ikki, Jinora and Meelo, would probably be on their way to Amon if it wasn't for Kenai and his unique way of airbending. How could he criticize his nephew's airbending when he was not able to protect his family with his own?

Then he remembered something. "Where is Pema? Is she safe?"

"Don't worry about her. She is waiting for you in the nursery. Go on, be with your wife." Lin said while gesturing the airbender to come inside.

While Tenzin hurried to see the woman he loved, Team Avatar slowly walked behind him in comfortable silence. Once they reached the nursery, they were welcomed with a beautiful sight. Pema was lying in her bed with Tenzin by her side, holding a newborn baby covered in blankets. The baby had green eyes and dark brown hair, much like his mother. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo were also in the room, wanting nothing more than to be with their new brother.

"He's adorable." Korra said with a smile.

Jinora turned around. "Kenai, come here! Rohan wants to meet you."

Kenai slowly made his way to the baby. "Hey there, little guy." he said once his face was inches from Rohan's. "Name's Kenai. I'm your cousin."

The baby decided to introduce himself by lifting his tiny hand and grabbing Kenai's long hair.

"Ouch! Hey, watch it." Kenai protested halfheartedly. Rohan giggled and kept yanking his hair like it was a toy.

Korra could feel her heart melting. The whole scene was just too sweet and cute. She wondered sometimes how it felt to be a mother. Of course, she had no plans on being one, at least not in the near future. Being the Avatar and a mother seemed like two gigantic responsibilities, and she had more than enough things to worry about with her job as the Avatar. Besides, she was seventeen. She was way too young to take care of a baby. Still, the idea of being a mother once she was old enough was interesting nonetheless. Watching her boyfriend play with the baby that was his cousin made her wonder how good of a father he would be.

'Not to mention, how good of a husband he would be.' Korra thought before fighting the small blush on her face that came afterwards. Fortunately, everybody else was too busy watching Pema and Tenzin with their new son to notice her. Marriage was certainly one thing Korra didn't wanted to be involved with. She liked Kenai a lot, but she just didn't want to commit herself like that without building a truly strong relationship with her partner before. Not to mention, Kenai had yet to meet her parents, Tonraq and Senna.

Asami then opened the window to let some fresh air in. What she saw outside was definitely not good. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but more airships are coming."

Everyone in the room had now worried faces. Truly, Rohan couldn't have been born on a worst day. "Everything's not gonna' be fine, is it daddy?" Jinora asked. Tenzin said nothing as he kept looking at his newborn son. The baby looked so innocent, so unaware of what was happening outside. There was no question about it. He was not going to let anything happen to any of his children.

The nurses then explained that Pema needed some time to rest and asked everyone to please step outside for a couple of minutes. The group did as told and went outside, where a number of airships could be seen coming closer to the island, no doubt to continue the invasion. "What do you wanna' do, Tenzin?" Korra asked her airbending teacher.

Tenzin sighed. "I need to protect my family and get them as far away from this conflict as possible. If Amon got his hand on my children... I'd hate to even think of it."

"If you're leaving, then I'm going with you." Lin stated.

"But-"

"No arguments! You and your family are the last airbenders and there is no way I'm letting Amon take your bending away."

Knowing Lin, she was not going to change her mind. "Thank you, Lin." Tenzin said with a nod. He was honestly surprised by how far Lin would go to protect him and his kind, taking into consideration their history together. The airbender turned his face to look at Korra. "Korra, I want you to get away from the island and hide for the time being."

"I am not giving up." the Avatar declared narrowing her eyes.

"I am not asking you to." Tenzin retorted. "I sent word to the United Forces and they will be here soon. And once my family is safe, I will return. With the reinforcements we can turn the tides of this war."

"What my uncle is trying to say is: We need to be patient." Kenai said to Korra.

Tenzin gave his nephew a small smile. "You're learning well."

With that said the Air Acolytes gathered outside the temple with their belongings and mounted the Air Bisons of the island. When everyone was ready to leave, Korra approached Tenzin and gave him a goodbye hug, which he returned. "Stay safe Korra." Tenzin told her as they ended the hug, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You too." Korra replied.

"Tenzin, if we're leaving, we better do it now." Lin warned her ex love interest. She was mounting Oogi along with Pema, Ikki, Meelo and Jinora as a protective measure against any possible persecutors.

Tenzin nodded and mounted Oogi as well. "Oogi, yip yip." he said before the Air Bison started flying, leaving Air Temple Island for the time being. The Equalists noticed the Air Bisons and sent two airships in their way, hoping to catch them in mid-air were they would be virtually defenseless. The remaining airships stayed in the island to proceed with the invasion and hopefully the capture of the Avatar and her friends.

The closest airship began the assault by launching a hook near the location of their enemies, consisting of Korra, Mako, Kenai, Asami, Bolin and a couple of White Lotus sentries. Soon enough, chi-blockers landed in the island and went for a battle formation. Korra was about to make the first move but the White Lotus sentries interrupted her. "Go, we'll hold them off." one of them said. The group hesitated for a second but decided to follow the guard's order. Team Avatar quickly mounted Naga except for Kenai, who was aware that the Polar Bear Dog was not going to be able to run fast with five people on her back, or even run at all.

"I'll go with Sozu. You need to go to Republic City's shore near the fourth bay. We'll see each other there. Go!" Kenai yelled.

Korra knew better than to argue with Kenai right now, so she simply nodded in agreement. "Come on, girl!" she said to Naga, who started running through the island.

Meanwhile, Kenai was making his way to Sozu's nest. Once he got there, he saw the Alpha Raven Eagle sleeping without a care in the world. "Wake up Sozu, we have to go!"

Sozu opened his eyes and shot a deadly glare to his caretaker. 'What is it, you stupid brat!? This better be important or I swear I'll-'

"We don't have much time! The island is getting infested with Equalists and we have to escape in this instant." the airbender said as he mounted the giant bird.

'What? Your nest is in danger and you're just going to run away? You're kiddin' right?' Sozu asked in shock and with a hint of disapproval behind his tone. Raven Eagles, especially Alphas, were territorial by nature. If another potentially dangerous creature came close to a Raven Eagle family, the birds would, out of instinct, scare them away or fight them off. But it wasn't just that. Ever since Sozu and Kenai became close, Sozu had never witness Kenai gave up or run away from a challenge or a fight. Now here he was, telling him that they had to run away from a couple of puny insects that called themselves Equalists. Such thing was completely out of his character.

"No, I'm not kidding. Look, let's just get out of here and I'll explain everything on the way."

The bird hesitated for a second, but ultimately gave in. 'You better have a good reason for this. I don't know about you, but I don't appreciate leaving my nest to the hands of those scrawny pawns.'

And with that, the Alpha Raven Eagle jumped and started flying towards Republic City, abandoning the island to its fate.

* * *

'So the old mamma's boy got himself a new cub, huh?' Sozu asked as he was flying near Republic City's shores.

"Yeah, his name is Rohan. He actually looks a lot like Pema." Kenai responded. "Anyways, what I'm trying to explain here is that uncle Tenzin and his family went hiding from Amon and his henchmen. I already told you what would happen if Amon got his hands on them; airbending would disappear from this world. That's why we're retreating for now, so we can come up with a plan to fight back and hopefully end this stupid conflict."

'Just how in the Spirit World did we get caught in a war like this?'

Kenai sighed. "That, my dear old friend, is something I may not ever be able to answer."

Five minutes later, both bird and rider were standing near the entrance of a sewer waiting for Kenai's friends to come. They were making small conversation about the recent events and what to do when the war between benders and non-benders came to an end. For Sozu, the whole thing was simple. Get out of the war alive and keep flying, eating, sleeping and teasing Kenai like he always did. But for Kenai, the future was uncertain. For better or worse, things would never be the same for him and Korra. He just hoped that he and Korra could get themselves a little peace in their lives, not having to worry about Amon anymore. More than ever now, Kenai desired tranquility, not only for him but for Korra, his friends and his family as well. Spending the rest of their lives running away and fighting was not something he wanted at all.

Looking at the water beneath him, Kenai saw something emerge. Out of the water, a certain Polar Bear Dog carrying four certain individuals came out.

"Wow, you guys really took your time getting here." Kenai commented with slight amusement as Korra and the rest of Team Avatar dismounted Naga.

"Yeah, we got a little side-tracked on our way." Korra said.

"Finding a specific sewer of Republic City while being under water is not exactly easy." Mako added.

"By the way, how many sewers are in Republic City?" Bolin asked the group.

Mako stared at his younger brother. "Bo, why does that matter?"

Bolin shrugged. "I'm just curious, that's all. Geez."

For a minute or so, Team Avatar watched how Air Temple Island kept being invaded by Equalists. The pitiful sight hurt all of them. For Kenai, it was like watching the home he grew up and spent most of his life in being overwhelmed by strangers who were determined to put an end to his and his family's lifestyle. For Korra, the sight represented how close Amon was from his victory and how far would he go to get her and the airbenders. It was a battle between herself and Amon, and Amon was currently winning. For Mako and Bolin, the whole thing was like a Déjà vu. It was the third time they had to abandon their place to stay because of the Equalists. First the Pro-bending Arena, then Asami's estate and now the Air Temple. Was it much to ask for a place they could live in peace? And finally, Asami felt sick and completely guilty for what was happening. Her father, her own dear father, the person he admired the most was behind this. Just a few months ago, she was proud of being Hiroshi Sato's daughter, and now she felt ashamed of bearing her last name. Now more than ever, Asami wondered if she would ever be capable of forgiving her father for all of the things he had done.

"We should get moving." Kenai said as the rest of them started walking towards the sewer's darkness.

Sozu, however, stayed still. 'I'm not going in there, brat.'

Kenai turned around. "What? Why not?"

'I hate tunnels and sewers. They are way too small and tight for my taste. I wouldn't be able to fly inside them and I'm not comfortable with walking like you humans do. You may not have a problem doing this, but I do. My word is final.'

"Oh come on! Can you just bear with us this one time?" Kenai asked with frustration.

The rest of the crew was baffled with the scene, Korra being the one exception. To them, it just seemed like Kenai was arguing with his giant bird pet over something like some sort of lunatic. Was their friend suddenly going crazy? Asami decided to voice their doubts. "Huuuum, Korra... Why is Kenai talking to Sozu?"

"Long story, I'll explain later." Korra replied with little enthusiasm. She didn't felt like talking about Sozu and Kenai's bond that allowed them such level of communication and understanding between one another, not with her mind and eyes still on the Air Temple Island.

Back with Kenai and Sozu, the pair argued for some time until Kenai gave in. "Fine. But if you're not coming with us, then where will you go? You can't come back to the island or you'll get caught."

* * *

'Ha! Like those weaklings could do a thing to me. But no, I'm not planning on going back to my nest just now. I'll just fly around until I find a place where I can have a nap, not too far away from you and not too close to those Equalists buffoons. For their sake.' Sozu replied as arrogant as ever.

"Hmpf, have it your way." Kenai said with a shrug. Suddenly, he frowned and his eyes met Sozu's with intensity. "Sozu, be careful out there. If anything happens to you-"

'Yeah yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don't get captured so I don't have to get out of my way to save your worthless rear. I'll take my leave now. Have a good one, suckers.' Sozu interrupted before parting away from Team Avatar.

Kenai sighed while rubbing his temples, thinking how much he wanted to strangle Sozu to death. His train of thought was interrupted when he saw Korra looking at the Air Temple Island with narrowed eyes. 'She's not used to retreat. And she's also feeling guilty for making Republic City wait while it's being attacked. I want to say something to her, but I can't think of anything. 'Mental sigh' damn it, I hate times like these.' "Come on Korra, we have to go now." Kenai said as the rest of the crew was already walking.

Korra nodded but didn't say anything. Soon, Team Avatar was walking through Republic City's sewers not looking back.

Unknown to them, there was one thing on Sozu's mind as he was flying. 'You better be careful too, brat.'

* * *

There it is. I am very sorry for not updating in so long and for how short this chapter is, but I wanted to end it here so the next chapter would be longer. Next one will most likely be the end of Book 1 and soon enough Book 2 will start. Thank you and again sorry for the long wait.

jido96 wishes you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.


	9. THE SHOWDOWN (PART 1)

CHAPTER 9: THE SHOWDOWN (PART 1)

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

|Republic City|

"It is a glorious day, my Equalists brothers and sisters. Amon has brought down the tyrannical bending government, declared bending illegal and has the Avatar on the run!" Hiroshi Sato proclaimed to the crowd gathered outside Republic City's Hall. "Our great leader has a vision for the future. One day soon, bending will no longer exist and we shall live in a world where everyone is finally equal! The United Forces are on their way here in this precise moment to try and stop that dream from happening, but we will prevail!" the man finished his speech as the crowd cheered. Over the last hours, Equalists forces had taken control of the city by kidnapping the Council Members left and rounding up every individual suspected of being a bender. The most influential buildings, including the Pro-bending Arena and the City Hall, now sported big flags with the Equalist symbol and were being guarded with chi-blockers and Mechatanks. Even the statue of Avatar Aang was remodeled, wearing the same mask Amon had on its face.

While some people were over-joyed by the events, others were scared. What if the new Equalist government turned out to be just as bad, if not worse than the previous one? The Equalists already proved to be relentless on their quest of purifying the world from bending, and they wouldn't hesitate to use whatever method they thought as necessary to do so. It wasn't like every non-bender hated bending with their lives, like the Pro-bending fans for example. Also, Amon was not on the hunt for benders only. Any non-bender who openly critiqued the new Equalist system would be considered as a bending sympathizer, and thus an enemy of the government. Trials would most likely be non-existent from here on now.

Was this truly the vision Amon had for Republic City?

Was it really that good?

As the crowd continued to shout in approval, two chi-blockers stepped away from the group of people and slowly made their way to a secluded area of the park nearby. Once they both made sure no one was following them, one of the chi-blockers earthbended a big rock, moving it out of its place and revealing a large hole on the ground that lead to the sewers. When the supposed Equalists landed, they took of their masks simultaneously.

"Can you believe this guy?" Korra asked Mako in a rhetorical fashion as she bended the rock back to its place to cover the secret entrance. "'Amon has the Avatar on the run'. I'm not running from anyone! Let's go back there and knock some heads, they'll never know what hit them!"

Mako placed his hand on Korra's shoulder to stop her from doing anything brash. "Relax. General Iroh is coming with an entire fleet of battle ships and then Amon will be the one running."

"I hate this 'being patient' stuff." Korra muttered as she turned away.

'It's a good thing airbenders are supposed to be patient. Otherwise, I'm not sure if Kenai could put up with her when she gets angry.' Mako thought slightly amused as he followed Korra back to their hideout.

|Hideout|

While Bolin was playing with Pabu, Asami and Kenai were sitting on top of some boxes nearby making small talk. Kenai felt that it would be nice to have an actual female friend, unlike the girls he used to chat with before meeting Korra. Those other girls were as boring as they could get, not to mention annoying and not trust-worthy. He knew they were only interested in his handsome looks rather than his actual personality, so why should he bother? True, his charming attitude might have somewhat worked against him, but if it only took him a few words to have a girl swooning over him, then that girl was not worth his time. But like Korra, Asami was different from the other girls he had met in the past. She was genuinely kind and she was in a relationship with Mako, whom Kenai considered him to be a close friend by now. Not to mention, Kenai had already seen Asami in action and she definitely knew how to take care of herself in a scrap. That alone made her very interesting in his eyes.

"Anyways, there is something I've been meaning to ask you Kenai. Before we got into the sewers, you argued with Sozu about something. Care to explain that?" Asami asked.

"Oh that? Yeah, me and Sozu can understand each other. He explained to me that Raven Eagles such as himself are able to communicate with other species once their bond is strong enough. I've been taking care of that giant bird ever since I was a little kid, so you can say we're pretty close in our own way." Kenai explained.

Asami was visibly perplexed by the explanation. "Really? But I've never heard of such a thing."

"Well, there are several factors that need to be taken into account." Kenai stated with a smile. "You see, Alpha Raven Eagles are supposed to be much more intelligent than the regular Raven Eagles. Their size is not the only thing they're different in. Also, Raven Eagles don't normally seek the company of us humans, but then again, I've been taking care of him since he was a little flying feather ball. Last but not least, Alpha Raven Eagles are almost extinct. The little information we have on them come from super old books written in a time when there were a lot more of them around. So yeah, don't be surprised if you've never heard of them."

The Sato girl shook her head in amusement. "You're full of surprises aren't you?"

Now it was Kenai's turn to ask. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not every day you get to know one of the world's last airbenders who's also the Avatar's boyfriend and that casually happens to have an Alpha Raven Eagle for a mascot."

Kenai chuckled. She did have a point after all. "True. But for the record, Sozu is not my mascot. If anything, he's my friend."

Just then, Korra and Mako appeared. They were wearing the standard chi-blocker uniform but without the mask. Bolin saw them as well and was the first to pipe up. "Man, it took you guys forever to get here! What took you so long?" he asked as Pabu climbed up to his left shoulder.

"We were doing reconnaissance, Bo. We need as much information as we can get." the firebender explained to his younger brother.

"Did you find anything useful?" Kenai asked.

Before either of them could answer, their 'host' appeared from literally out of nowhere. The host of the underground hideout was none other than the hobo Korra met at the park her very first day in Republic City. The man, Gao was his name, was a little too crazy for Kenai's taste, but he would put up with the hobo's antics if only as a way of thanking him for the hospitality.

"Welcome back! I hope you two have worked an appetite cuz' dinner is served!"

And so, Team Avatar gathered around a small fire where Gao was cooking what seemed to be some sort of soup with vegetables. Kenai had to admit, that soup looked yummy.

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here for the past few days." Korra said to Gao, who waved his hand dismissively as he passed another bowl.

"Ohhh, think nothing of it. My associates and I are not exactly fond of Amon's so called 'Equalists policies'. We have benders and non-benders living down here, and do ya' see us fighting? No, you don't. Because we've learn how to harmoniously co-exist." Gao replied as he hugged himself.

The airbender of the group was surprised. The city under Republic City was way behind in some things, but at the same time so much further ahead in others. It made him think which one of the two cities was the most advanced.

"You sir, are a wise and noble hobo." Bolin said as he tasted the soup. "Mhhhhhhhhm, this is the best street soup I've ever had. Seriously!"

Gao enjoyed the praise quite a bit. "Oh, you flatter me. I made it with the leftovers I found in the finest dumpsters the city has to offer." he said with evident pride. Asami, who was just having her first taste, turned green and proceeded to spit out all of the soup she had in her mouth. When nobody was looking at her, she took her bowl of soup and handed it to Pabu, who started eating the thing like it was no big deal.

Kenai found himself doing the very same thing. 'In times like this, ignorance is certainly a blessing.'

|Later that night|

Kenai slowly woke up from his sleep. He simply couldn't rest right now, not with everything that was going on. As he looked at his friends, he noticed that there was someone missing.

Korra.

'Where is that girl?' Kenai thought as he rubbed his head. Bolin, Asami and Mako were still sleeping, but Korra and Naga where nowhere to be seen. Deciding to go looking for her, Kenai got up and washed his face with some clean water. He put on his boots and started walking aimlessly, still not used to the extension of the underground shelter.

Fortunately, Korra was not far ahead. Kenai found her leaning on Naga with an annoyed look on her face, obviously still awake and unable to sleep just like him. As he walked towards her, the voice of his aunt echoed in his head. 'Admitting you have a problem in your relationship is the first step to overcome it. You have to understand that while she is the Avatar, she is also a 17 year-old girl. Even if she doesn't show it, she is also worried about her relationship with you. It's just like you said, you two haven't talk that much recently, so at the first chance you get you should sit and talk about whatever you two are thinking or feeling. I have no doubt that it will clear your head.'

'I guess this my chance.' Kenai thought as he was getting closer to his girlfriend. Korra didn't seem to notice him, apparently too distracted by her thoughts. "You can't sleep either, huh?"

"Oh, hey there." Korra said a little startled.

"Mind if I join you?" Kenai asked. Korra responded by moving to her right. Kenai took a sit next to her, studying her facial expressions to determinate how she was feeling. She looked tired and frustrated out of her mind, though Kenai knew it was something to expect. "Korra, how are you feeling?" he knew it was kind of a dumb thing to ask, but he couldn't think of another conversation starter.

"I'm alright. It's just that I don't like being here when I could be outside fighting Amon. The whole city is going insane and I'm sitting here doing nothing." Korra replied.

"Korra, I'm not asking you about the war. I'm asking how are YOU feeling."

Korra stared at him for a minute before letting out a reluctant sigh. "It's just so crazy. A few months ago I was in the South Pole practicing for my firebending test, and now I'm in the middle of an all-out war. I feel like everything is going too fast."

Kenai nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know what you mean. A few months ago I was in the Air Temple watching my little cousins learn airbending, and now I'm in the same boat you're in." he said before smiling. "We didn't even know each other back then. It's funny how things turn out to be, huh?"

"You can say that again." Korra commented with a smile of her own. She had to admit she'd never expected to meet Kenai or go through everything she had with him on her side.

"I don't regret it." Kenai suddenly said. "Everything I've been involved in ever since I met you, I don't regret it at all. Thanks to you, I've got to meet Bolin, Asami and Mako. Not to mention, my life had never been more exciting since the day I saw you in that visit to the South Pole. You remember how that went?"

The Avatar chuckled. "How could I forget? I still remember Master Noribu's face when you called him and old hypocrite."

"Hey, that old fart totally had it coming." Kenai said with a playful smile. Then his facial expression changed into a serious and guilty one. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? About what?" Korra asked in confusion.

"That night when Bolin, Asami and Mako got arrested by Tarrlok, I asked you not to do anything too risky. I was so worried about you that I didn't realize I was basically trying to stop you from doing your job as the Avatar. When I became your boyfriend, I was fully aware that things like that could happen, but when the time came were you needed to act, I immediately tried to keep you out of harm's way. That's what I'm apologizing for, because I've put almost no faith in you when you needed it the most. I've been nothing but a lousy excuse of a boyfriend."

"Kenai, don't you ever say that again. You had every right to be worried about me. And besides, I should've listened to you. If I had, I wouldn't have got myself abducted by Tarrlok. Not only that but you also rescued me back in the mountain, something I never even thanked you for. If anything, I'm the lousy girlfriend."

Kenai chuckled. "Aren't we the lousy couple. So, do you forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me as well." Korra responded with a smile.

"Deal." Kenai said before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, I have a great idea."

Korra cocked an eyebrow. "Do you now? And what great idea would that be?"

The airbender grinned. "Wait here." he said as he stood and started walking from where he came from, leaving a curious Avatar behind. A minute later, Kenai came back with a clean white sheet (or as clean as a sheet from an underground hideout located in the sewers can be) and took a seat next to Korra, covering themselves with the sheet.

"This was your great idea?" Korra asked amused.

In response, Kenai gave her a sly smirk. "Huh-huh, don't think that I have forgotten that day in the park when you and I cuddled while we were looking for Bolin. I swear, even back then you were still crazy about me."

To her credit, Korra only had a small blush staining her cheeks. "Look who's talking. I didn't saw you complaining." she said with a hint of embarrassment. Thankfully, now that they were a couple, things like that were far easier to discuss.

"Nope, you certainly didn't." Kenai said before wrapping an arm on her shoulders for a second time and pulling her close to him. Korra sighed and leaned against Kenai's chest. If she was honest with herself, she did miss the feeling of being intimate with her boyfriend, a feeling she couldn't afford in lately due to the recent events. She knew it was something she should get used to, but it wasn't that easily.

Korra was tough girl, or at least that's how she saw herself. But deep inside her heart, there was a little place were all of her insecurities were stored, insecurities that once in a while escaped. Kenai was her source of confidence and reassurance, always being there for her when she needed him. And when she was with him, any doubts she had would disappear. Not to mention, the sensation of being close to Kenai's muscled body with her head on his toned chest was more than enough for her to feel what she would call a combination of protection, comfort and... lust?

...

What? She was seventeen and she had a really hot boyfriend for crying out loud! And so, she had the right to distract herself every once in a while with thoughts that Tenzin would classify as... inappropriate.

In any case, whatever guilt she felt quickly faded away when Kenai placed his fingers on her chin and kissed her fully in the lips. Korra closed her eyes and returned the kiss with equal eagerness. Oh Spirits, she really did miss devouring his lips like they used to do on their first days as a couple.

Kenai broke the kiss and smiled at Korra. "My my, looks like I've kept you waiting for way too long." he said in a husky tone.

"Oh, just shup and get back here."

And so, the Avatar and the airbender continued to kiss for what it felt like an eternity, thought it was really for a couple of minutes. Both Kenai and Korra were more than glad to be tasting each other like they used to back in the day. While they were going at it, however, Korra suddenly pulled back from the kiss and stared at Kenai with a stern face.

"Promise me."

This caught Kenai off-guard. "Huh?"

"Promise me. Promise me that, no matter what happens, you will be careful. I don't care if something happens to me, but you will take care of yourself."

"Korra..."

"Promise me." Korra almost yelled. Heck, if it wasn't because there were others sleeping nearby, she would've had.

"... I promise." Kenai said with a reluctant sigh. What choice did he had? He knew that the following hours, and probably days, would be dangerous. But at the same time, he knew how stubborn Korra was on this sort of things. Her rational side would be put on hold until she heard what she wanted to. That was one of the things she didn't like so much about her, her unwillingness to hear reason or different opinions on something when she already had made up her mind. And Kenai knew better than to argue with women. His very own aunt Pema taught him that years ago.

Korra smiled. "Good." she said before going back to snuggle.

* * *

|Next day, Sewers entrance|

"The coast is clear." Mako said as he signaled the rest of the Team Avatar with his hand to come closer. It was a cloudy morning in Republic City and the tension could be felt in the atmosphere. Our heroes went up the stairs and reached the upper level of the sewers near the docks. Bolin had a spyglass with him and he used it to search for any indication of Equalist or United Nations activity.

"Once the United Forces arrive, we need to be ready to help in any way we can." Korra said as she kept looking at the foggy sea.

Mako kept looking as well until his gaze caught up to the sight of a fleet coming their way. "They're here!"

"Alright, the reinforcements are here, but how are they going to reach the docks with our Equalists friends here?" Asami asked. "I doubt that their presence will be taken lightly by Amon."

That was when Kenai noticed something. "Hey, now that you mention it, where are the Equalist airships? They're usually here to remain guard all day to watch any incoming ships, but I can't see them anywhere. I doubt that they took a day off."

Mako rubbed his chin in deep thought. What Kenai just said was actually true. In his excursions to the outside with Korra, he noticed that there were always three or four Equalists airships around, day and night non-stop. Bolin himself volunteered to look for information dressed up as a chi-blocker, but that was a big NO NO. They argued that his body built didn't resemble one of a chi-blocker. That much was true, as his earthbending nature gave Bolin a bigger and broader body built in comparison to the Equalist chi-blockers, who were generally leaner and slightly taller than him. Though in reality, the rest of Team Avatar knew that Bolin was not the best man for a spying job simply because he 'had a nag of getting into stupid situations', as Mako told Korra and Kenai the night they went looking for him.

But at the same time, they didn't want a pouting and grumbling Bolin around, so Asami had the ingenious idea of naming him the official 'Hideout Guardian' of the group and tasking him the protection of the base in case of any incoming attack. The tittle alone was enough to make Bolin perk up as he proceeded to swear an oath of protecting the base. He even named Pabu his second-in-command of the whole thing. That was enough for everyone to know that he was happy.

With a similar thought on his head, Mako took Bolin's spyglass and looked at the docks that were supposed to be under custody. "There are no Mechatanks either." he said in confusion.

Kenai shook his head. "Something isn't right. I think Amon is trying to lure them here."

"It sure looks like it." Korra agreed.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Team Avatar returned its sight to the sea, where numerous explosions could be seen and heard. The United Forces fleet was being attacked with underwater exploding mines, causing panick to emerge between the troops.

"I knew it!" Kenai exclaimed.

Without thinking twice, Korra jumped to the water and started diving, using her skills as a waterbender to help her swim faster. When she got near the ships, she heard a buzzing sound in the air approaching. Kenai, Asami, Bolin and Mako heard it as well as they looked around for the source of the sound coming towards them. Using the spyglass, Mako looked up the buildings of the city where the sound seemed to be coming from. What he saw was definitely not good. Up in the air, two groups of seven Equalists planes were approaching the United Forces fleet. To make things even worse, the underwater mines had severely damaged the machinery of the ships, meaning that they were practically stuck in their places for the time being.

"Where does Hiroshi finds the time to create new evil machines?" Bolin asked puzzled.

"Beats me." Kenai commented as he couldn't help but agree with Bolin.

Just when things couldn't get worse, the Equalists planes happened to be equipped with missiles. With the fleet stuck, the planes started shooting missiles while the ships countered by firing their gun turrets as well as using earth discs to shoot the planes down. However, it was clear that the Equalists had the upper hand. The gun turrets the ships had were designed to hit big targets, not small and fast-moving things like planes. As time passed, the Equalists had a few losses but were holding up much better than the United Forces fleet, which were slowly starting to sink.

Korra was still in the ocean and was doing her best to change the tide of the battle by waterbending ice picks and throwing them at the enemy. She was able to hit some of the planes but they just kept coming. As she kept waterbending against the Equalists, she saw a man falling from a ship. The man appeared to be unconscious because he didn't attempted to swim, thus he was starting to drown. Korra dived into the water once more and caught the man underwater. She recognized the man almost immediately from the newspapers.

General Iroh of the United Forces.

The now identified man wore white pants and a red jacket that had its left sleeve torn. He had black hair and golden eyes, much like Mako. Besides some bruises and small burns on his arm, Iroh didn't seem to be injured. In fact, he was starting to move his head and open his eyes, signs that he was starting to wake up from his unconsciousness. Wrapping the General's body with one arm, Korra made her way to the surface. Once she got there, both she and Iroh coughed and gasped for air, making Korra realize how much time she spent under the water.

"It's ok now. I got you." Korra said reassuringly.

General Iroh coughed some more. "Avatar Korra?" he weakly asked. When he realized how close he actually was from drowning, the General gave the Avatar a small smile. "You saved my life. Thank you."

Korra nodded and used her waterbending to push them out of the battlefield. While she was doing this, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. They had just lost an opportunity to take back Republic City. Once again, Amon had outsmarted them.

|Sewers Hideout|

"I was prepared to deal with Amon's Mechatanks, but these high-speed aircrafts." General Iroh said as Korra used her waterbending healing abilities to treat the General's injuries on his left arm.

"I know. Every time we think we have an advantage, Amon outsmarts us."

Bolin nodded. "No matter what our plan is, he always has a better one."

The General sighed in moderated frustration. Even if he was one of the youngest Generals of the United Forces since its foundation, he was just as tranquil and collected as the veterans of the army. As the leader he was, he had the obligation of remaining calm and not fall into panic, to evaluate the situation and to come up with a strategy with whatever resources he had. "Amon is winning so far." he started to say. "But we're not out of the fight yet!"

"I like this man's confidence!" Bolin exclaimed before making a pause. "So... how are we not out of the fight yet?"

'Why, Bolin? Why do you have to be so... Bolin in times like these?' Kenai mentally whined.

"A second wave of reinforcements is on the way." the young General said as he stood up. "But I need to warn them. Do you still have a way to get a message out?" he asked Korra.

Korra smiled. "I know just the man for the job."

Little did Kenai knew, the man for the job his girlfriend was talking about was none other than...

Gao, their crazy/wise host. Well, he could honestly say he didn't saw that one coming.

As Gao connected two cables to an old looking, but apparently working message machine, he turned to face General Iroh. "And who would be the receiver of this secret message?"

"Commander Bumi. Second division of the United Forces."

The bare name of his other uncle was enough to make Kenai's eyes go wide in surprise. He would've never thought that uncle Bumi would get involved in this mess. But then again, uncle Bumi was known for getting himself into situations qualified as 'extravagant', or so did uncle Tenzin used to say.

"Tenzin's brother?" Korra inquired.

General Iroh nodded. "Yes. Bit of a wild man-"

"Bit of a wild man? That's some understatement right there. The guy is basically the definition of crazy." Kenai said. The statement made the General cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Believe me, he's my uncle."

"Crazy or not, he's the bravest commander you'll ever meet." General Iroh concluded.

"Alright, this old lady's ready to go." Gao said. "What's the message?"

"Fleet ambushed and destroyed by Equalists aircrafts. Retreat to Red Sand Island until my signal. Do not approach city until you receive the all-clear." the firebender informed as Gao tipped all down. Minutes later, the message was sent.

Using a map and an improvised table, General Iroh started to explain his plan. "Now comes the hard part. We need to ground those aircrafts; otherwise Bumi's fleet will never be able to retake the city."

Mako thought about something for a minute. "The planes appeared to come from this place." he said as he pointed one of the edges of the map where a mountain was placed. "The airfield must be somewhere over the mountain range."

The General nodded at the information. "Everyone get ready. We leave at dawn." And with that said, everyone left the tent. However, when the Team Avatar and Genral Iroh took their firsts steps, Korra stopped.

"Wait!" she called. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you tomorrow." Korra said, making the rest of them stared at her in clear disbelief. "I'm sick and tired of running from Amon. It's time I face him."

"It's not a good plan. We need to stick together." the young General said as he shook his head.

"I'm not waiting for him to hunt me down!" the Avatar shot back with clenched fists. "My guts are telling me to end this. On my terms."

Kenai took this as his cue to intervene. Trying to muster all the luck he could, the airbender approached Korra. "Look, I get it that yo-"

"Save it, Kenai. I'm not changing my mind just because you ask me to. I'm doing this, and I'm doing this alone."

"Korra, this is not a mission you should be handling alone." the young General tried to argue.

The airbender suddenly took a step forward. "She won't. I'm going with her."

Korra stood there with her mouth hanging for a second before she regained her previous composure. "I didn't ask you to come with me!"

"I know, but I'm going with you whether you like it or not." Kenai stated. Korra was about to retaliate but Kenai beat her to it. "Save it, Korra. I may not be able to change your mind, but you're not changing mine. If you have any problems with that, we'll discuss it when this whole thing is over. But I am not letting you go to Amon's claws just like that. You either come with me or you're not going at all." he said with a facial expression so dead serious Korra hardly recognized him.

Letting out a huff, she turned back faced Kenai. "Don't be late." she said as she stormed off to her sleeping place to cool off. She felt so angry and frustrated at her boyfriend, it was almost suffocating. Why couldn't he see it? Why was it that Kenai couldn't see that she wanted to keep him out of harm's way? She was the Avatar, not him. Kenai had absolutely no responsibilities towards Republic City, she did. As a matter of fact, why didn't he join Tenzin and the rest of his family to go somewhere safe? Wasn't he an airbender as well? Korra did wanted to be near Kenai, but not when she was about to do something that was probably going to put him in danger. Even if she didn't wanted to say it out loud, the mere thought of Kenai getting hurt or worse was enough to send shivers down her spine.

'Kenai, you are such an idiot.' Korra thought bitterly as her hands started to shake.

|Morning|

Kenai and Korra were putting on their Equalists suits while discussing their infiltration plan. Kenai immediately noticed Korra's bad attitude towards him. The girl ignored him and wouldn't talk to him, and when she did, she would just interrupt him rudely. Knowing better than to argue with her, Kenai stayed quiet as Bolin and Mako approached him.

"Be careful out there." Mako warned Kenai as both males shared a one-armed hug.

"You too." Kenai replied.

"Hey, I was thinking that when this whole thing is over, why don't you join us in the next Pro-bending championship?" Bolin asked after pumping fists with the airbender. "Imagine the Fire-Ferrets with an airbender on the team, we would be totally unstoppable!"

Tenzin's nephew stared at him with a blank expression. "You do realize that's pretty much impossible, right?"

"Huh? Why?"

"(Sigh) Bolin, you're one of my best friends, but sometimes I can't help but wonder what's going on inside that head of yours." Kenai said.

Bolin rubbed his chin in a thoughtful fashion before smiling. "I'll take that as a compliment!" the earthbender said before approaching Korra. "Korra, Amon is a nasty dude. Be careful."

Korra nodded. "I will. Good luck out there. But if you're going into the mountains, you should take Naga." Korra said as she hugged her pet's head. "Please, take good care of Bolin for me."

Naga seemed to understand the message and licked Bolin's face in agreement.

Turning around to face Asami, Kenai spoke up. "Alright, Speed Queen. Take care of yourself. And please, don't do anything unnecessarily dangerous."

Asami nodded. "I can say the same thing to you." she replied. After a couple of seconds later, Asami gave Kenai a quick hug before joining General Iroh, Mako and Bolin, who were on their way. Korra scowled a little at the sight but didn't said anything, her pride getting the better of her.

"We should get going." Kenai said to Korra. The Avatar grunted and started walking, followed by a very frustrated airbender.

* * *

The walk to the sewer's exit was quiet and awkward for Kenai. It was obvious that Korra was mad at him, but he couldn't figure out the exact reason. Then his mind recalled something she said not too long ago.

 _"Promise me. Promise me that, no matter what happens, you will be careful. I don't care if something happens to me, but you will take care of yourself."_

'Is that the reason why she's so angry? Because I'm getting myself into the line of fire? Damn.'

Before he knew it, both of them arrived to the Air Temple Island. Putting their masks on, the two benders climbed a rock and saw that the place was filled by Equalists.

"There's Amon." Korra whispered to Kenai while pointing to a large airship on the sky. True enough, Amon was just entering the ship to take his leave from the island and continue his invasion.

"We need to sneak into the Temple, release all the prisoners and wait for him to comeback. When he returns..."

"We ambush him." Korra said finishing the sentence.

Korra and Kenai started walking through the entrance, checking their environment for any signs of hostile activity. Nothing seemed to have changed in the island, except for the Equalists flags going around here and there, and the people that were on the actual island. It was hard for Kenai to watch his home filled with people who wanted to end its very meaning, which was airbending. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't noticed the man approaching them until it was too late.

"What are you two doing here?"

A little startled by the sudden interruption, both Korra and Kenai turned around to see the one talking to them. It was none other than the nameless leader of the squad that attempted the first invasion to the island. Kenai's instincts were screaming, begging him to attack the man who dared put his family in danger. But thankfully, his sense of reason and rationality kicked in. "We were just transferred... sir." Kenai forced himself to say.

"Well, you two are getting transferred again. Amon wants extra security in the Arena today."

"The Arena? For what?" Korra asked before Kenai could've stopped her. That kind of questions would most likely raise some suspicion on the man.

And as a matter of fact, the leader narrowed his eyes. "The rally. You should've been briefed about this."

"We'll be there, sir." Korra answered with a bow. Kenai bowed as well, much to his own displeasure. Apparently convinced of the act, the leader turned around and walked away. Kenai and Korra looked at each other and nodded. They knew another way inside the Air Temple.

Once they were out of sight, the couple made their way to a secret tunnel Kenai discovered when he was a kid. The tunnel was small, so the both of them were forced to crawl their way into the temple. At the end of the tunnel, there was a small door that led to a staircase. Once Korra and Kenai walked up the stairs, they found themselves in a small room filled with things like empty bookcases, old furniture and other similar objects.

"Let's hide in the attic." Korra said as she pointed a door. Kenai nodded and followed her.

In the attic, Korra and Kenai made sure that they weren't followed and quickly locked the door. He turned around... and saw something he never expected to see.

Locked in a cell, was Councilman Tarrlok.

"Korra, we... have some company."

Korra quickly turned around, thinking that her boyfriend was talking about Equalists. Imagine her surprise when she saw her once captor in chains, his usually clean clothes now dirty and his long hair messy. At first, she couldn't even recognize the man, but one look at his dark, narrowed eyes was all it took.

"T-Tarrlok?"

* * *

Short and late chapter is short and late, I know. But I have excuses!

I'm currently on vacations and finding time to write is not easy. Also, I started working on another story called 'Shujinko, The Fourth Member'. It's a Naruto fic I've been meaning to do for a while, so check it out if you have the chance. Oh, and I'm starting University on March and so you should expect my updates to be slower than before. Sorry but that's just the way it is.

But let it be known, I am NOT giving up on this story. Not when I'm already this far.

Peace.


	10. THE SHOWDOWN (PART 2)

CHAPTER 10: THE SHOWDOWN (PART 2)

* * *

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

* * *

Kenai had never pondered this much about the phrase 'expect the unexpected' until this very moment.

Right in front of him was a man that looked like the ghost of his past self. Tarrlok was pale, dirty from toes to head, smelly and definitely a lot thinner since the last time he saw him. If it wasn't for the fact that Kenai loathed him, he would've felt some sort of sympathy for him. But no. He quickly reminded himself of all the foul thing Tarrlok had done to Korra. Luring her into his task force, calling her a 'half-baked Avatar' and the worse of all, abducting her. Maybe Korra could find a way to forgive him, but Kenai couldn't.

Tarrlok glared at the pair. "I don't suppose you're here to rescue me."

"Your suppositions are correct, councilman." Kenai spat with an equally hateful glare.

"We had no idea you were here. Are there any other prisoners on the island?" Korra asked as she ignored her boyfriend's behavior.

"No. I'm the only one."

"And what does exactly make you so special?" Kenai asked.

"... I am Amon's brother."

Both Korra and Kenai gasped at the revelation. Councilman Tarrlok was Amon's brother? The two opposite's forces that had been facing each other for so long were siblings? Finding Tarrlok here was unexpected enough, but this? This took the phrase 'expect the unexpected' to a whole different level. Kenai shivered at the idea of this information going public. There would certainly be chaos.

"Amon is from the Northern Water Tribe. He's a waterbender and a bloodbender, just like I was." Tarrlok said.

Korra was gaping. "What?"

"Did you know this all along?" Kenai questioned.

"No. I realized only after he captured me."

"How did your brother ended up being Amon?" Korra couldn't help but ask. This day was getting even messier than what she anticipated. And she anticipated a LOT of things going down today.

Tarrlok stared at the ground, like the memories of his past ashamed him to the point that he couldn't even look at them in the eye. "It all began with my father, Yakone. With the help of his former gang, he escaped prison and underwent surgery to change his physical appearance . This way, no one could recognize him or link him with his criminal reputation. He assumed a new identity and settled down in the Northern Water Tribe. That's where he met my mother, a warm and caring woman that loved him. Before long, they started a family together. Amon was the first born with the name of Noatak while I was born three years later. My brother Noatak was a good-natured boy, always looking out for me. Ahhh, those were the good old days... before my father discovered that we were waterbenders."

He made a pause before continuing. "Of course, we were excited at first with our new abilities. If anything, it made out brotherly bond even stronger than it already was. But our training brought a different side to my father. "

 _|Flashback|_

 _An eight year-old Noatak was manipulating a considerable amount of water, changing its size and shape. Meanwhile, a five year-old Tarrlok was struggling to keep up with his brother. Even with less water, he had trouble performing the exercise his father had instructed them to practice. It was already dark and he was tired and hungry, but his father still wouldn't let them rest. Finally, Tarrlok kneeled and stopped bending the water because of the fatigue._

 _"Tarrlok!" a severe voice called from behind. "You better start shaping the water like I told you to do or you'll be here all night!"_

 _"I'm trying, but-"_

 _"But nothing! You are a disgrace. Your brother was never this sloppy!"_

 _Noatak took a step forward. "Dad, he'll get it. He just needs time." he tried to reason._

 _"Don't you ever talk back to me, boy! Ever!"_

 _|Flashback end|_

"Even back then, my brother wanted everyone to be treated fairly and equally. When I was seven, our father took me and Noatak to a hunting trip far away from our home. He told us his true identity was Yakone, Republic City's most notorious crime boss. He was a bloodbender of rare skill."

 _|Flashback|_

 _"Dad, what's bloodbending?" Tarrlok asked his father as he and his brother sat down next to the small bonfire to keep themselves warm on that particularly cold night._

 _"It's the most powerful and feared form of bending in the world." Yakone told his son. "It was declared illegal thanks to that coward Katara. Our family has the strongest line of bloodbenders in history. You boys have this power inside of you and I will teach you how to master it."_

 _After a moment of hesitation, Noatak spoke up. "What happened to your bloodbending?" he asked._

 _Yakone stood up. "The Avatar stole it from me. That is why I brought you here, to learn your destiny. I will make you two bloodbenders of the highest order, and when the time is right, you will reclaim Republic City and you will destroy the Avatar. You must avenge me. That is your only purpose in life. That is what your destinies are."_

 _|Flashback end|_

"And with that, the good old days were gone forever. Every full moon, our father would take us to another 'hunting trip' were he secretly trained us in bloodbending. We kept the truth from our mother. Years went by, and our skills as bloodbenders had increased to the point of not needing a full moon to bend the blood of our targets. We practiced constantly, and I hated every minute of it. I had no stomach to manipulate helpless animals. My brother, however, had changed with his new power. In all honesty, he was a prodigy, mastering the most advanced bloodbending techniques of our father by the age of fourteen. But even when Noatak was my father's favorite, it wasn't any easier for him because he carried the weight of Yakone's expectations and demands on his shoulders."

Tarrlok let out a sigh. Kenai didn't want to admit it, but Tarrlok's story was starting to get him. If all of what he was saying was true, then Tarrlok wasn't just an enemy or a power-hungry man, but a victim of his past as well thanks to his father.

"My brother changed through the years, becoming cold and detached. Our father kept pushing us to extreme limits, and one day, he made us bloodbend each other in a duel."

 _|Flashback|_

 _The two brothers were standing in front of each other, one looking calm and expressionless while the other looked nervous and scared._

 _"Noatak, go." Yakone said to his oldest son._

 _Noatak nodded, took a deep breath and stared at Tarrlok for a second before his whole body became tense._

 _In an instant, Tarrlok's body started to feel an unbelievable amount of pain. It felt like having his inside strangled constantly with hands as cold as ice. His bones were twitchy, like they were warning him they would snap at any minute now. His legs couldn't stand such painful torture, and so Tarrlok bended over and drop into one knee. Then, his brother hardened his gaze and Tarrlok's back began to stretch so much that he thought his brother was going to split him in half._

 _Yakone smirked as he looked at his older son. "Excellent. You can stop now."_

 _Noatak did so and felt his body relax, letting go the grip he had on Tarrlok, who fell to the ground shivering and sweaty._

 _"Tarrlok, your turn."_

 _"No, I won't do it." Tarrlok said as he stood up._

 _"Bloodbend your brother, Tarrlok!"_

 _"No! It felt awful and I don't want to do that to anyone. I don't want to bloodbend ever again!"_

 _Yakone took a step forward with gritted teeth. "You truly are a disgrace. You are nothing but a weakling. I'll show you wha-"_

 _Suddenly, Yakone's body started to shake in pain. "Stay away from him." a voice warned._

 _It was Noatak. His own son and apprentice was using his bloodbending against him._

 _"How... dare... you... bloodbend... me?"_

 _"What are you going to do about it?" Noatak said as he made his father bend over. "You're the only weakling here. You said that bloodbending is the most powerful thing in the world, but you're wrong. The Avatar is the most powerful thing in the world. He took your bending away, what can be more powerful than that?"_

 _"I... made you... what you... are. You... are... mine!" Yakone yelled._

 _His older son glared at him. "We're your sons, not your tools of revenge." he said to Yakone before returning his gaze to Tarrlok. "Let's go. We can run away from him forever."_

 _Tarrlok couldn't believe his ears. He simply couldn't. "Run away? But what about mom? We can't just leave her!"_

 _Noatak gave his younger brother the same glare he gave to his father. "In the end, father was right about you. You really are a weakling."_

 _With that said, Noatak pushed his father a couple feet away before running away, never to return._

 _"Noatak, please wait! Don't go! Noatak!"_

 _|Flashback end|_

"My father and I searched for days, but we never found any sign of Noatak. We told my mother he got lost in the storm and perished. My mother was never the same with the loss of her son. My father stopped training me since with Noatak gone, his hopes of revenge withered, and he passed away a few years later."

Korra looked at him with pity. "That's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard."

"Avatar Korra, I am truly sorry for all that I've done to you. I thought I was better than my father, but his ghost still haunts me. I became a soldier of revenge, just like he wanted me to be and so did my brother. The Revolution may be built on a lie, but I think Amon truly believes bending is the source of all evil in the world." Tarrlok said.

"How did you figure Amon was your brother?" Kenai asked.

"When he took my bending, the sensation was somehow familiar. I later recognized it as my brother's bloodbending grip."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "So, somehow, he uses his bloodbending to take people's bending away."

"I still don't understand how he does it." Kenai commented. "According to uncle Tenzin, only the Avatar is capable of doing that. I'm pretty sure bloodbending doesn´t comes with energybending, as powerful as it may be."

"Neither do I know how he does it." Tarrlok said. "But then again, I've never faced a bender as strong as Noatak."

Even with this new information, Kenai still wasn't able to figure out a way to defeat the Equalist leader. Not only he was a bloodbender, which was something dangerous by itself, but he was probably the most powerful bloodbender out there. To bloodbend without a full moon was something worthy of a genius, a prodigy. Kenai chuckled to himself at the thought of how would the Equalist supporters would feel when they found out their great leader and warrior of hope was actually an over-powered waterbender.

...

Wait a minute... That was it!

"Hey, maybe we don't have to defeat him. Instead, we could tell everyone about Amon's true identity and powers. If the Equalists are true to their cause, then they would revel against Amon right? That should put him on the run and make him lose his supporters." Kenai said, mentally patting himself for being such a genius.

Korra's eyes lit up and a wide grin made its way to her face. "Of course! If we tell everyone his little secret at the rally, we could take away his true power and end his revolution!" she exclaimed. Turning back to Tarrlok, she lowered he head. "I'm sorry."

Tarrlok merely nodded and looked away in shame, to embarrassed to meet her gaze.

Kenai was fighting with himself. He couldn't forgive Tarrlok for his actions, but he no longer desired to take his revenge he once swore. Was it pity? Was it because Tenzin taught him the value of forgiveness? Was it because Korra felt pity for him? He had no idea, and honestly he had more important things to worry about, like taking down Amon once and for all and making sure to get out alive or Korra would never forgive him or herself for that matter. That woman would be willing to go to the Spirit World and back if it meant to kick his bum for leaving her. The thought send shivers down his spine, not that anyone noticed. He started to walk away but Korra stopped him.

"We can't just leave him here."

"Go. No one can know we talked. Otherwise your only chance of taking down my brother will vanish. Defeat him, and put an end to this sad story."

* * *

|Pro-bending Arena, Rally|

Kenai never would've thought he'd see a bigger Equalist-supporter crowd than the one he saw at the rally when Bolin was captured, but this took the cake. Without counting the Equalist troops and Mechatanks guarding the stadium, the place was absolutely infested of die-hard Amon fanatics. What made things even worse was that people were still going in, even when the place had no space left. Apparently the Equalists had an open door policy, wanting all of the people to come and hear the great leader.

The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts of admiration when Amon came out; making the usual entrance he always did before starting a speech, with lots of smoke and flashes of lights directed to him.

"Thank you for joining me in this historical occasion." he began to say as the crowd started to quiet down. "When I was a boy, a firebender struck down my entire family and left me scarred. That tragic event was the beginning of my quest to equalize the world."

"That's a lie, Amon!" Korra shouted from above before Amon could continue. Both Kenai and Korra took of their masks now that their cover was officially blown. "Or should we call you Noatak?"

The crowd was now shouting about lies, punishment, something about blasphemy and similar things of the like to the couple. To his credit, Amon remained calm and gestured his followers to stay still. "Everyone calm down. We have nothing to fear from the Avatar. Let's see what she has to say."

"Amon has been lying to you all this time." the Avatar started to say out loud, gaining the attention of the people below her. "The Spirits didn't give him the power to take people's bending away, he uses bloodbending to do it. Amon is a waterbender!"

"Quite the amusing story you have there, Avatar. Sadly, it is nothing but a desperate attempt to change the inevitable. A pathetic excuse used as a last resort." Amon retorted nontachantly.

Korra ignored him and went on. "Your family wasn't killed by a firebender. His father was Yakone (multiple gasps were heard) and his brother is none other than councilman Tarrlok (even more gasps)!"

Meanwhile, Kenai was pondering on one thing he had failed to take into account.

How where they supposed to prove that what they were saying was true? They had no evidence to back their claim whatsoever. Sure, they knew the truth but that was not going to do a fat lot of good. Especially when they were facing thousands of Equalists fanatics AND the Equalist leader that was surrounded by his top-notch guards. 'I can't believe I hadn't thought of that earlier! Even Bolin would've realized! Heck, even Meelo would've realized! I have to be the dumbest bender of the Earth.'

"I suppose you at least have some evidence with you. You are not just saying such things without a way to prove it, now aren't you?" Amon asked.

"Yeah... about that..." Kenai mumbled to himself so that nobody could hear him. Spirits, this was so awkward.

"How about I show you how fake my lie is." Amon said as he took off his hood and started to untie the back of his characteristic white mask. Everyone's eyes widened as they realized what he was doing. Was their leader, the great and mysterious Amon, finally going to reveal his face to the world? The mere thought was simply surreal. From the very beginning of the Equalist propaganda, Amon had always, ALWAYS wore his trademark mask. It was quite basically the man's face. No one, not even his closest associates had ever caught a glimpse of Amon's true face. The only thing that mask didn't cover were his icy, unforgiving eyes of him.

And now, the face of the mighty Amon was revealed.

"Look what that firebender did to me!" he proclaimed loudly, pointing at his face which sported a bright red scar that started from the left side of his jaw line and ended in his right temple. The scar covered almost all of his otherwise pale face. Witnessing this, the crowd went berserk and started to shout even louder than before, pointing at the Avatar and throwing insults at her like there was no tomorrow. It was pandemonium in the stadium.

Korra was starting to lose her composure. This was so not good. Tarrlok never mentioned his brother's scar. Could it be a fake? She really hoped it was, because otherwise she and Kenai were in big trouble. How were they supposed to back up the real story now?

Feeling the rising tension, Kenai spoke up, feeling a strange sense of inspiration rising from his spirit. "Just answer me this, Noatak. What do you really want? Where is this revolution of yours going? You preach complete equality like it is going to fix the world, but you are wrong. What we need is justice, not equality. Benders are different, that much is true. It's what we do with our powers what we have to fix, but taking everyone's bending away will not make things better. We have been given the responsibility of making the world a better place, with benders and non-benders coexisting in true peace. If you go on with this madness, you'll end up doing the exact opposite of what you want."

This seemed to quiet down the crowd to the point where Kenai's voice could be heard. The less extremist followers were whispering to one another, going over the airbender's statement. It did made sense, for the benders of the past had also done good deeds, especially the Avatar and its reincarnations. Firelord Sozin was the one who started the war that lasted for a hundred years, and it was Avatar Aang the one who ended it, starting a new era of peace. Benders started wars and benders put them to an end.

"It is true that bending has been gravely misused for years, and non-benders are the ones who have had it the hardest." Kenai continued with his improvised speech as he now addressed the horde of Equalists followers. "We have done you wrong. On behalf of all of those who have hurt you in the past, I ask for your forgiveness. But I'm sure you have no interest in my apologies. What you want is a better life, a life without fear. Your leader is right in one thing: We can change this corrupted system. Let us fight for you. Let the Avatar fight for you. Have faith in her just like I do, because I know she can lead the world into a new era of kindness and justice, just like all the previous Avatars have done before her."

If the crowd was not silent then, it sure was now. Korra found herself gaping at her boyfriend. She never would've thought Kenai was so good at addressing people just like that. What she didn't know was that Kenai was even more impressed with himself. Even though he was naturally open to others, Kenai didn't think of himself as the kind of person to give speeches to a number of people. It was different when he spoke to Korra in private, where they could be intimate and express their thoughts to one another.

Amon, who had already placed his mask on again, noticed how some of his followers were starting to hesitate, so he was quick to return the word. "Worry not, airbender. For I will change this corrupted system. Starting with your precious family."

Kenai's eyes widened in shock as Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo appeared at the stage, hand-cuffed and with a piece of cloth in their mouths to prevent them from shouting.

"No... They got away. We saw them get away." Korra whispered

"Tonight, I will free the world from airbending forever."

"Let them go, you bastard!" Kenai shouted as his anger and ire quickly took over.

"You are more than welcome to come down here and try to save them." Amon taunted the couple before walking towards Jinora. "The Avatar needs a reminder of the power I possess. Maybe a little demonstration with the older girl will do."

Kenai lost it.

Without a second thought, he propelled himself towards the stage using airbending, landing on the left corner. Korra caught up to him by using her firebending. As soon as Kenai and Korra touched ground, they encountered a number of elite chi-blockers making their way to them, eager to put them down. Kenai found himself in a state of nothing but violence, blasting away his enemies as they came closer. The sight of Amon attempting to hurt Jinora made him so mad he reached a level of rage he never knew he had. All of his past frustrations, all of his sadest moments, all of the times he had cried were all mixed into a single desire to protect his family even if it meant to stop being human for a while.

Nobody touched Kenai's family without paying for it.

Korra was unnerved by Kenai's outburst but quickly regained composure. Focusing her chi into her fingers, Korra created a small yet powerful flame to melt the chains Tenzin and his family was handcuffed with. "Where are Pema and Rohan?" she asked once the piece of cloth was removed from Tenzin's mouth.

"In prison."

"And Beifong?"

"I don't know."

When Tenzin and the kids were liberated, the aged airbender supported his surrogate nephew and together they sent a strong gust of wind to Amon. The Equalist leader fared well against the airbending attack, but in the end he couldn't resist any longer and was pushed back a couple of meters away, leaving him temporally out of the fight. "Follow me, kids!" Korra yelled as they escaped the scenario. The crowd was gone from the beginning of the fight and the chi-blockers were knocked out, making the escape a lot easier. Together, they made their way through the exit door.

"Get them out of her." the Avatar ordered to Tenzin. "We'll create a distraction."

Tenzin nodded in agreement. "Come on, kids. Let's go find your mother and baby brother."

"Prison break!" Meelo shouted before joining the family search party.

At the end of the hall, Korra spotted Amon. She quickly reacted by sending fireballs his way in order to slow him down, but Amon's reflexes were just as fast, if not faster than Korra's, and so he dodged all of them without missing a beat. He turned right to face his opponents, but they were nowhere to be seen. His eyes caught a glance of the third door to his left barely closing, indicating that the Avatar and her boyfriend were most likely there.

The third door to his left turned out to be a small warehouse were some of the malfunctioning Equalist devices were stored. The place was reasonably sized and had lots of places to hide, like tables with blankets over them and big delivery boxes used to transport merchandise, along with several other spots.

Noatak smirked under his mask. They made it way too easy.

Korra felt like screaming in agony when Amon bloodbended her, making her body get out from her hiding spot under a table. This was not the first time someone used bloodbending on her, taking into account her kidnapping under the hands of Tarrlok. But between the two of them, Noatak's grip was ten times more painful. It made all of her body twist back and ford repeatedly. She felt like there was no more blood inside of her, but liquid ice going through her veins. The pain was so big she couldn't even shout. Her voice was caught in her throat.

"Leave her alone, Noatak!"

The bloodbender look back at the figure of Kenai sending air blasts his way. Not losing his grip on Korra, Amon dodged all of them except the last one. It was a wave of air that tackled him and sent him falling on his back, his grip on Korra lost. The girl was too weak to move, but still conscious. The moment he raised his head, the young man was running towards him holding some sort of strange rotating air sphere. It didn't took him long to figure out that it would cause him a great amount of damage if he got struck by that unknown technique. Judging by its sound, the air was rotating at dangerous speed. Kenai let out a roar as he approached the masked man.

Kenai yelped as his body froze in mid-air, the air sphere still active in his hand. With his face twitching in pain, he looked at Amon's hands.

Three of his right hand fingers were being held.

He had been caught.

"That's quite an impressive technique you have there." Amon said as he stood up. "It's almost like an entirely new bending. Sadly, you won't live enough to progress any further with it. You have been an annoyance for far too long."

That said, Amon started to close his fist, making Kenai's open hand to approach his stomach area. The airbender's eyes widened in panic. He knew full well how devastating his technique was. If he received the air sphere at full force, he was finished.

He would die.

'No! I can't die yet!' Kenai thought as she struggled to keep his hand away from him. Just a few inches and the sphere would touch him. 'Wait, my only chance is to-'

"Noatak, please stop! I beg you!" Korra yelled. She wanted to move, but her body was still too numb to respond.

"You can beg all you want. This is for interfering with my revolution. Farewell, airbender." Amon said. With a quick hand gesture, he closed his fist completely.

It lasted for a second. Before either Amon or Korra could notice, Kenai's torso glowed in a white light before his hand drove the air sphere into his stomach.

Upon impact, Kenai was sent back several meters with a staggering force, his body bouncing all the way against the hard, unforgiving ground. The moment he stopped, Korra saw with horror the hole in Kenai's Equalist suit. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open, with blood coming out of it. The airbender's body was not even struggling to get up. It was simply there, lifeless.

"Such a pitiful way to go." Amon commented dryly. "And now it's your turn, Avatar. Prepare to be equalized."

But Korra wasn't listening. On her knees and with her hands on the ground for support, she stared at Kenai's limp body waiting for an answer. A shook of his head. The movement of a leg. The slight tremble of a finger. Anything that might indicate he was still alive.

Nothing. Her boyfriend was not moving. Her boyfriend was not going to move.

She felt a rush of feelings taking a hold of her. Sadness, despair, denial.

Rage. Rage beyond her wildest dreams. Never in her life had she felt so angry, with such a thirst for blood. Noatak's blood. He was going to pay.

"You... I hate you... I HATE YOU!"

With a roar, Korra got up and launch herself at Amon. Her eyes were replaced by a white light and her face was contorted, making her look like a crazy animal. Amon was shocked by the sudden turn of events and attempted to bloodbend the Avatar.

This proved to be useless. Bloodbending someone was one thing, but bloodbending the Avatar in the Avatar State was a whole different story. It was like trying to bloodbend one hundred individuals at the same time. It was simply too much for Amon. He was sent flying by a strong gust of wind that came out of Korra's palm. She didn't even realize she was airbending. Her fury was far too great for her to notice.

"I HAD IT WITH YOU AND YOUR REVOLUTION!" Korra shouted at the top of her lungs as a huge air blast was sent to Amon. The Equalist leader was too stunned to evade it, and thus he was sent crashing into a wooden wall.

"GRRAAAAAAAAAH!"

With one final gust of wind, Korra sent Amon against a window and out of the building. Her Avatar State worn out and Korra finally came back to her senses. Running back to where Kenai was, she discovered her boyfriend still immobile. His stomach was a mess of black, purple and red while a trickle of blood was running down his nostril.

"Oh Spirits, no... Kenai... Why?"

The Avatar started crying. Kenai, the man she cared for the most, was lying there with no signs of waking up. Sobbing uncontrollably, she placed both her hands in his head and cried her spirit out. She had thought for some time that losing her bending to Amon was the thing that scared her the most. It wasn't until just a couple of days earlier when she realized how wrong she was. What scared her most was this… losing Kenai. After several minutes of crying, she noticed a slight movement in his chest. Placing her ear in his heart, she gasped at the feeling of a small, but still noticeable heartbeat.

He was still alive.

* * *

'Am I... dead?' Kenai wondered as he slowly woke up. He was in a strange garden, filled with flowers and plants he had never seen before. The sky was surrounded by puffy-looking clouds, but that was the least of his concerns. What was this place? It felt so... spiritual and full of live, like he was aware of every living thing around him. He slowly got up, and felt completely fine for some reason. Pain was nonexistent.

That baffled him. The last thing he could remember was Amon bloodbending him. Just before his air sphere made contact, he had focused his chi around his torso in order to increase his resilience to the point of making it hard, very much like an armor made out of steel. Then his air sphere touched him and... Everything went black. His air sphere had enough force to drill through solid material. So why wasn't he feeling anything? He should have an enormous bruise on his stomach at the very least. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for his chi-hardening technique, he would've died. Or maybe he was dead and that was why he was feeling no pain?

"Wake up, son."

Kenai turned around, and what he saw left him speechless.

It was Kayi and Bantoh. His mother and father. They looked exactly the same as the day the left him with Tenzin ten years ago. His mother was wearing a casual Northern

Water Tribe dress with her black hair done in two ponytails, as it was the water tribe costume for woman her age. His father wore a green tunic and beige pants that reached just below his knees. He had short brown hair and a medium-sized beard. The both of them were smiling, and Kayi was actually crying out of happiness.

Kenai was anything but happy. He was so confused he couldn't even talk properly. "What... Mom... Dad... How...?"

"I know you are shocked, sweetie." Kayi said as if she was reading her son's mind. "But we need you to listen to us. Time is essential."

Bantoh chuckled. "Damn. You've really grown kid. Last time I saw you, you were only eight."

"I... I don't... What are you doing here? What is this place?"

"This is the Spirit World. But that's not of importance right now." Kayi answered as she held hands with her husband. "It is time for you to know the truth. Ask Tenzin what happened 'that fateful day'. He'll know what it means."

"Wait! This doesn't make any sense. Why is this happening?" Kenai begged for an answer. Right in front of him were his parents, whom he had not seen since he was eight years-old, and now all of the sudden they were in the Spirit World chatting with him like nothing? Did neither of them had any idea about how much he had missed them?

Bantoh sighed as he looked away. "Everything will be revealed in due time. You have to go back now. Don't worry; we'll see each other one day."

"Bye sweetie." Kayi said as one last tear reached her chin.

* * *

Then, everything went black again.

Hello, and welcome to another chapter of 'The new bender'. Man, I wanted to finish this one for so long, but there were several things that required my attention. The ending is a bit rushed, but not too bad if I do say so myself. Next chapter, there will be important revelations taking place, so stay tuned.

Also, I want to announce a change in this fanfic. From here on now, expect shorter chapters from me. I'll start making them 5.000 – 8.000 words long. Why? Because making longer chapters take me a lot of time, not to mention the fact that I might get frustrated if I feel the story is taking too long. Besides, updates from here on now should take less time with this implementation.

Peace.


	11. THE AWAKENING

CHAPTER 11: THE AWAKENING

(Disclaimer- I do NOT own Avatar: The Legend of Korra. I only own my OC's)

* * *

|Republic City|

Five days. Five days have passed since Amon and his Equalist revolution were defeated. Republic City was going under a process of reconstruction under surveillance of the Police Force, and fortunately most of the city's buildings and streets were in good shape. The Equalist propaganda was being erased from the streets while the last supporters were being arrested and taken into custody for interrogation. Without their leader, most of the chi-blockers under his command were subdued while a few others escaped, never to come back to Republic City. People were cheering and praising the Avatar as well as the United Forces Army for their courage against the threat that was Amon's revolution.

However, such a victory also came with a sacrifice.

Kenai was in the hospital in a comatose state. The doctor's discovered trauma damage in the back of his head which caused the comma as well as internal bleeding in his stomach area. They worked night and day until they finally stabilized the young man's wounds. However, they still weren't able to get him out of his comatose state. What was worse, they had no idea when was he going to have a full recovery or if he was going to recover at all. It didn't matter what they tried, Kenai was not waking up.

In Air Temple Island, things were not better.

Korra was, without a doubt, the one who was having it the hardest. She spent all of her time crying in her room, barely touching her food, refusing to go out and only allowing Naga to be with her. She cursed herself all the time for not being strong enough to protect him, and she also cursed Kenai for exposing himself so boldly and allowing Amon to almost kill him. Had he died... Korra would've never been able to forgive herself. She had never felt so low, so useless, and so miserable in all of her life now that Kenai's existence could come to an end in any minute.

She'd rather lose her bending than to lose him.

Tenzin was another one that was wrecked. Kenai, his surrogate nephew, the boy he had taken care off since he was eight and the son of his best friend, was lying in a hospital bed in a comatose state, all because he wasn't able to protect him like he damn should have done. All of their previous disputes seemed so pointless now that he thought about it. Who cared if Kenai didn't airbend like all the previous airbenders did? Who cared if he didn't adopted the life of an air nomad like Tenzin and his family did? Kenai was an outstanding boy, air nomad or not. He was family in all but blood. The fact that it took this to make him realize that ashamed him to no end.

Pema was acting very much like Korra. Her eyes were constantly puffy and red, consequences of the tears she cried. Because she was a mother, she also had to stay strong for her children, but keeping the false act was a task that became harder by the second. Pema knew very well that Kenai was now a young adult, but when she remembered all of the time she spent with him ever since he came to the island, all of the things she had done with him and all the hugs the both of them shared, her heart started to shrink. As far as she was concerned, Kenai was her boy, her son.

The airbending kids were also in shock. Upon knowing how their cousin was, all three of them started to isolate themselves from everybody else. Jinora spent all of her time in the library. Half of the time she cried, and the other half she read the first book she grabbed in an attempt to past the time. It was funny how she could never remember what she just read, and tear stains could be found in numerous books.

Ikki suddenly stopped asking questions. In fact, she became as quiet as a grave, not one word coming out of her. Since the news of Kenai, nothing seemed important to her, nothing at all. Her world turned grey and dullness was as common as the air she breath. The only thing she wanted to know was when was Kenai going to wake up, and as long as no one gave her an answer, no one would hear her say anything.

Meelo's goofiness and hyperactive nature was replaced by irritation and sour mood. Several times he attempted to escape from the island to go and see Kenai, and when he got caught, he ran away and stayed in Kenai's room, either crying or planning his next move. He rarely got out of his cousin's room. It was the only thing that made him feel like Kenai was there with him.

Mako and Bolin, although not nearly as destroyed as Korra or Tenzin, were also moping for their friend. So many things had happened since the day Bolin brought two strangers to their locker room before their Pro-bending match, and Kenai had always been there. They both agreed that life was unexpected, because they never would've thought the airbender would become that much of an important person to them. He was their friend, possibly the only true friend of them since the death of their parents. He had done so much for them, and here they were, waiting for him to come back to life. Not being able to help a friend was the worst sensation the brothers had felt in a long time.

Asami was drowning in guilt. Her own father had been one of Amon's biggest supporters, and one way or another, had contributed to Kenai's actual state. Kenai was dying, and Hiroshi shared part of the blame. How was she supposed to remember her father with fondness? Was it possible to even call him that by now? Hiroshi even went as far as attacking her, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's brother and General Iroh. All of that because of a misplaced anger he was unable to control, allowing it to corrupt him to the point of insanity. As much as she tried to reason with herself, a part of her constantly yelled that it was her fault for not knowing and for being so naive, that it was also her fault that Kenai was comatose. If the airbender never woke up, she was not sure if she could live with it.

Last but not least, Sozu was absolutely furious with him. That brat just had to play hero and risk his life. So Amon was defeated and the Equalists were scattered, big deal. That idiotic partner of his almost got himself killed, and even now he could still die. Just before parting ways, Kenai warned him to be careful, when HE was the one he should be worried about. Years of bonding, care and friendship were now in danger simply because he felt like it.

If Kenai didn't make it, Sozu would bring him back from the Spirit World just to beat him senseless himself.

Because he had him scared to death.

* * *

|Republic City's Hospital|

"Doctor Dao, I think the patient's waking up!"

"Bring here the medical supplies!"

"His vital signs are increasing!"

"Prepare a morphine shot, immediately!"

"'Bout time he woke up."

"Call a healer, we might need him!"

If Kenai had to describe the feeling of waking up from the Spirit World, the only adjectives he could come up with were scary and exhilarating. One moment he was not just watching, but actually talking to his parents, then the next thing he knew he was in a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and desperately trying to get some air. His heart was beating faster than ever, his eyes were wide in shock and just about every inch of his body was aching, not to mention he was sweating like a Polar Bear Dog in the desert. He tried to get up, but he felt like someone was slowly stabbing him with a spear just below his ribs. He could barely feel his limbs.

The doctors pushed him back to the bed, but Kenai still insisted to stand up. His breathing became more agitated every passing second, his vision became blurry and every sound he heard was distorted. The last thing he saw was a nurse injecting him a needle filled with a strange-looking liquid before the darkness claimed him once more…

|5 hours later|

"So, my patient is this young boy identified as Kenai." Doctor Dao stated.

"Yes, Doctor Dao."

"Alright, what's his status?"

"He has recently woken up from his five-day comatose state. We had to sedate him with some pain killers and tranquilizers, otherwise the boy would've blacked out from exhaustion. His reaction was quite violent, not what you expect from someone who has been sleeping for almost a week. Other than that, he seems to be reasonably stable. We have a couple of waterbenders working on the blunt trauma of his abdomen. It's too early to say, but I think he can have a full recovery now that he's awake. He might even get rid of that ugly scar if he's lucky enough. The wounds in the back of his head are completely healed, thank the Spirits. Minor amnesia is possible, but unlikely."

"Good, so he should be back with us any minute now. Have we contacted any of his friends or relatives?"

"Doctor Maru wants to run a few tests on him to make sure he's still with us. Standard procedure. After that, we'll tell one of the nurses to call any relative he has."

"I see. Well, leave the documents in my office. I'll have a look at them before six. Oh, and tell Doctor Ju Fao that the tea he asked me to try tastes worse than Fire Ferret dung. I've never tried Fire Ferret dung before, but I'm willing to bet that it's better than this filth."

"... Yes, Doctor Dao."

Dao, a fifty five year-old doctor, born and raised in the Earth Kingdom, sighed as he stared at the figure of his patient.

Over the course of his career, he had seen injuries so strange it made him wonder if they were even real, and now he could add this one to the list. The damage itself was simple enough; blunt trauma inflicted in the abdominals, internal bleeding and a concussion in the back of the head. If Dao evaluated the situation by only judging the wounds that the young man suffered, then it was nothing out of the ordinary. He had treated injuries far more life-threatening than those.

It wasn't the total damage what unnerved him. It was the fact that those injuries should've been far worse.

The scars that surrounded the main injury were suspicious enough. The number of marks and their shape indicated that the wound was caused by some sort of solid object that was rotating at high speed, inflicting damage upon impact. The object itself couldn't have been very big as the scars were not overly large. In short, it had been a small object traveling at high speeds in a rotating fashion what caused the injury. He tried and tried and tried, but he simply couldn't come up with an object that could match the description.

He had seen marks like that before, but they had been fewer and far smaller than the ones this boy had. Not to mention, those marks were on corpses, not living persons. In other words, whatever it was that struck him, it should've pierced its way through the body. It should've killed him. And yet, the boy was still alive and recovering from his comatose state. Just what in the Spirit World happened to the kid? Or maybe even more important, how did he even survive?

As he kept trying to figure out the enigma that was his patient, the sound of groans caught his attention. The young man's eyes fluttered, adjusting to the light he was exposed to after sleeping for five days straight. His face was a mask of struggle and exhaustion. Doctor Dao quickly approached the boy and gently placed his hand on his shoulder in a calming gesture, not wanting his patient to pass out a second time. According to his colleagues, his first awakening had been a violent one, like a state of shock after being struck by lightning, and the nurses were forced to inject a dosage of anesthetics in order to subdue his hyperventilation. "Easy, kid. You don't want to black out again."

Fortunately, the boy seemed to understand and didn't attempt to get up or move too sharply. His brown eyes kept blinking for a minute before settling down and stare in clear confusion at the man in front of him, his mouth slightly open.

"There you go. Nice and slow. See?"

"... Where am I?" Kenai asked dryly.

"You're currently in Republic City's Hospital. My name is Dao, the doctor entrusted with the task of your recovery. Is there anything I can do for you? Water, maybe some more rest?"

Kenai was silent at first, staring blankly at the bedsheets. "I have to go now." he finally said.

Dao blinked, obviously taken back by the unexpected, yet casual answer. "What? I'm sorry kid, I think I heard you wrong."

"No... I have to go now. I need to... leave."

If Dao wasn't surprised before, he most certainly was now. This boy had just woken up from his comatose state, and the first thing he said (technically second, but whatever) was that he wanted to leave? He was expecting the kid to ask what happened to him, if he was going to die, how long he was going to stay hospitalized, how severe his wounds were, blabity bla bla bla. You know, the usual stuff, the everyday routine. What was this boy up to?

"I'm sorry, but I can't authorize that. Your injuries, although nearly recovered, are still in need of attention. Besides, you have been unconscious for five days straight. Your muscles are suffering a minor atrophy, so it's not like you can just walk out of here on your own. You'll have to stay for a week at the very least before we allow you to leave. Meanwhile, is there anyone you'd like to talk to? A familiar, maybe a friend..."

It took a minute or so for the patient to answer. "Contact the Air Temple Island. Tell Councilman Tenzin that I'm awake now, but... I'm not ready for visitors. At least not for the moment."

Dao raised an eyebrow, but nodded nonetheless. What was the exact relationship between Kenai and Councilman Tenzin? Father and son? That was impossible. Councilman Tenzin only had three children, and Kenai looked like anything but an airbender, or a monk for that matter. Maybe he was his nephew? That was more likely, since Tenzin had two siblings, General Bumi of the United Forces and Kaya, a medical waterbender who was currently in the South Pole. In the end, he shrugged and left the room. Whatever relationship the boy had with the airbender, it was none of his business. He reached for his secretary's telephone from her desk and dialogued the number for Air Temple Island.

After a brief moment, one of the monks from the island answered. "Good morning. This is Air Temple Island. With whom do I have the pleasure to talk?"

"Good morning to you, too. This is Doctor Dao from Republic City's Hospital. May I have a word with Councilman Tenzin? I have dire news for him."

"Of course. If you don't mind my intrusion, how dire are your news? Councilman Tenzin has been feeling... uneasy these last few days."

"I believe he will be most interested on what I have to say. It's about a young man named Kenai, my current patient..."

* * *

|Next day|

Kenai looked up at the ceiling, the words of his parents still hammering his head.

 _"Ask Tenzin what happened 'that fateful day'. He'll know what it means."_

What was that fateful day about? What happened that day? And what was Tenzin's role in all of that? Was he hiding something from him? Kenai had known his uncle figure since he was eight, and there were hardly any secrets between them. Okay, maybe there were some, like the 13.000 yuans he had stored in his personal bank account and other little anecdotes here and there, but nothing life-changing.

But what both confused and angered him the most what the fact that they were his parents, Bantoh and Kayi, the ones telling him to ask. 'They just waved hello at me, like nothing had happened in ten years.' he thought bitterly. And why did he saw them while he was unconscious? And why in the Spirit World? The Spirit World was a place accessible only by the Spirits, the Avatar and highly-spiritualist humans, most of them airbenders since meditation was a part of their everyday lives. While it was true that Kenai had trouble remembering his parents, he seriously doubted they were able to enter the Spirit World just like that. Bantoh was an earthbender, and it was unknown if any earthbender before had ever taken a step inside the Spirit World while still alive, for it was said that earthbenders were the least 'spiritual' kind of benders due to their tough attitude and impulsive behavior by nature. Second of all, his mother Kanyi wasn't even a bender. How did she gain access to the Spirit World? If Bantoh's case was doubtful, this one was even more. The only way possible Kenai could think of was that a Spirit had encountered his mother and brought her along to the Spirit World. Other than that, he had no idea.

Maybe... just maybe... that so-called 'fateful day' had something to do with the fact that both Bantoh and Kayi were in the Spirit World?

'But... that can only mean-'

"Avatar Korra, I beg you! Mr. Kenai is still yet to recover!" a voice was heard outside the room. Kenai recognized the voice of his nurse, a thirty year-old woman called Nomi.

"Do I look like I care about that!?"

The airbender's thoughts were interrupted by a rather loud noise that could be identified as a person going through a wall. 'Korra?'

The room's door was slammed open, and Korra stepped in, looking between relieved and livid. Kenai didn't had enough time to blink before the Avatar wrapped her arms around his body in a Polar Bear Dog hug. "Spirits! Oh Spirits, you-you are a-alive!" she said between hiccups, tears escaping from her eyes.

"K-Korra... Can't... breathe!" Kenai protested as he felt his body being compressed, but it was useless. If anything, Korra's grip became even tighter.

"I... I thought... W-We thought... you we-were..." Korra trailed off, not even wanting to think what could've happened to his boyfriend.

"I'm fine, really... I told you nothi-"

Once again, Kenai was too slow to react. In less than a nanosecond, Korra released the airbender and slapped him across his face with all of her strength. "What the hell were you thinking, you idiot!? Do you have any idea how worried I've been!?"

"Avatar Korra, please! Mr. Kenai needs to rest!" Nomi pleaded as she approached the pair. Korra turned around and gave her the nastiest death glare she had ever seen from someone in all of her life as a nurse. Her eyes were basically yelling 'if you dare take another step I swear I will blast you to the Spirit World and beyond'. It didn't help that her fists were engulfed in fire, either. The nurse took the hint and wisely left the room, not wanting to annoy the already enraged Avatar any further.

"Korra, please calm down." Kenai said in an attempt to ease the situation at hand. "I get it, you are worried and I'm sorry. But you may be overreacting a little-"

Wrong thing to say. Never, ever, tell an irate woman she's overreacting.

"Overreacting!? OVERREACTING!? You were in a comma for five days, Kenai! Five days! You promised me you wouldn't do anything too reckless, and look what happened!"

Now that there was some space between them, the airbender took a moment to study Korra's face. In all honesty, she looked like crap. Her hair was undone, she didn't look like she had bathed (she was a little smelly), her skin was just a bit paler than usual and her eyes were puffy, undoubtedly from all the tears she had shred. Kenai started to feel guiltier by the second. Seeing Korra like that... it hurt, more so than his own injuries. Thinking about his fight with Noatak and how it ended, he had to admit it was pretty reckless of him to just go straight to the Equalist leader and try to finish things. He should've known better than that.

"What happened to Noatak?"

Kenai noticed how her facial expressions visibly changed at the mention of Amon, but before she could answer, another individual entered the scene. "Oh, thank the Spirits you're alright!" Tenzin exclaimed as he approached his surrogate nephew.

The young airbender's face darkened at the sight of Aang's son. He had half a mind to ask him right there about that 'fateful day', but knew better than that. It was supposed to be a conversation between airbender and airbender, uncle to nephew, man to man. He would probably tell Korra later about what was it that he and Tenzin spoke about, but the discussion had to be private. Besides, the hospital room hardly felt appropriate for a lengthy talk. The medical staff would probably shoo them away in a couple of minutes, arguing that his body needed rest and that he needed his sleeping medicine. Tenzin, ever the rule-lover fellow that he was, would most likely oblige and leave, wishing his nephew a good recovery. Korra, however, was definitely a whole different story. She would probably stay with him until Doctor Dao told him he was good to go. "Hey, uncle." he finally replied, suddenly becoming aware of his lack of response.

"Doctor Dao called Air Temple Island this morning. Are you feeling well?" Tenzin asked, concern written all over his face.

"Yes. I'm just... tired. Doctor Dao says I need a lot of rest before I can go home."

Tenzin nodded. "Of course. I want you back home as soon as you can, but take your time to recover."

"How's aunt Pema and the kids?"

"Well, they are certainly anxious to see you again. They wanted to come with me and Korra, but Doctor Dao told me not to bring too many visitors at once. I promised I would bring them along tomorrow, if the medical staff gives their con-"

"Where is my nephew!?" Pema's voice boomed through the hall.

Tenzin paled. "This is not good."

"Wait, Mrs. Pema! Please keep in mind Mr. Kenai's health! You could put him in danger!" Nomi begged.

"If you don't tell me where my nephew is, it will be your health what will be in danger!" Pema roared.

Tenzin started to sweat. Pema was a kind, lovable and peaceful woman by nature, but when she was mad, she was able to make Lin Beifong whimper like a little child. Before thing could get (very) violent, Tenzin opened the door and called for his wife, who came running to the room, casually pushing people that were on her way. "Kenai! Oh, I was so worried about you!" she yelled, latching onto him in a bone-crushing hug.

"You and everyone else." Kenai managed to say with a strained voice, though Pema seemed to ignore it.

"Pema, where are the kids?" Tenzin asked, visibly alarmed.

"I left them at the island with the caretakers. Don't worry, I told them I was out to buy Sozu's food." Pema relied, still hugging (strangling) her beloved nephew.

The older airbender sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if they came as well."

"GO AWAY! YOU KIDS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THERE!"

He was sure he misunderstood, but Kenai could've sworn he heard his uncle muttering 'Oh crap'.

"Stay out of this, old lady! We're here to see Kenai!"

'Yup, that's definitely Meelo.' the young airbender thought.

"Come on, I think I hear Mommy this way!"

Five seconds later, three kids dressed as airbenders came bouncing into the room, completely ignoring the shouts of warning from the nurse. "Kenai!" Jinora, Ikki and Meelo chorused before jumping into the bed where his 'cousin' was.

"Hey there, squirts." Kenai greeted them warmly.

"Are you feeling ok now?"

"We thought you were going to sleep for years!"

"Meelo, it's impossible to sleep for years."

"Grandpa Aang slept for a hundred years!"

"He wasn't sleeping. He froze himself inside a block of ice while activating his Avatar State, which allowed his body to-"

"Can you go to the island with us now? Can you carry me in your shoulders like you used to? Why are you wearing that weird pajama? Can we go flying with Sozu? I think he misses you because he's really grumpy now. How's the hospital food? Is it yummy? Is it yucky? Mommy said it's unhealthy. Is it really unhealthy? And what does unhealthy means?"

...

"Come again?"

"Jinora, Ikki and Meelo! What do you think you're doing here? You said you would stay put in the island and behave!" Pema scolded, although she couldn't really blame her son and daughters for coming.

Jinora looked at her mother smugly. "And you said you were going to buy Sozu his food."

Pema's face went red in embarrassment, but before she could come up with an answer, a couple of voices were heard outside.

"See Bolin? I told you it was here!"

"But that nurse lady over there said we were in the wrong hospital!"

"Bo, how many Republic City's Hospitals do you know of?"

"Mhhhmm, let me think... Only this one?"

"Exactly." The door opened, revealing Mako, Bolin and Asami.

"No... please, don't go in... Oh, forget it! Do whatever you want!" Nomi shouted before storming out of the building, not wanting to deal with the disrespectful visitors any longer.

Mako approached his friend with a small smile. "Good to see you awake."

"Welcome back to the land of the living, buddy!" Bolin pipped in.

Asami was instantly at Kenai's side. "Are you ok? The doctors didn't know when you were going to wake up. You could've ended up sleeping for months... or longer." she said, rubbing her neck in discomfort. She still felt guilty for being the daughter of a man who turned out to be one of Amon's biggest supporters.

"I'm fine, really." Kenai insisted. "I just... need some rest." his gaze met Tenzin's, and the young man couldn't help but frown at his uncle figure. Tenzin shifted uncomfortably at the look his nephew was giving him. Realizing what he was doing, Kenai shook his head and took a deep breath. "Look, I'm really glad you guys came here, but would you mind giving me some privacy? I feel... a little exhausted. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I will stay awake. Please."

Tenzin spoke up almost immediately. "Most certainly. Doctor Dao has warned me that you woke up in a delicate state. Fortunately, you were unconscious for five days only, so regaining your body strength shouldn't take very long. For now, plenty of rest is advised. Pema, let's get going."

Pema nodded and gave Kenai one last hug before leaving, this one much softer than the previous one. "We'll come visit you tomorrow. Make sure to do everything that Doctor Dao tells you to do. I want to see you back in the island as soon as possible, you got that?"

"Yes, aunt Pema." Kenai replied while repeatedly tapping her arm, which was his way of returning the embrace.

"Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, we have to leave." the aged airbender said. "Kenai is in need of some space. We can visit him together another time."

The three airbending kids pouted at their father. "No fair! We haven't seen him in like forever!" Ikki argued.

Surprisingly enough (or maybe unsurprisingly enough, depending on how you look at the situation), Jinora agreed with her sister. "Ikki is right! Why do we have to leave now? You said family members should always look out for each other, and Kenai is our cousin!"

Now Meelo piped in. "And that old nurse lady looked mean! She was shouting at us when we came here!"

"Kids, it's alright." Kenai said in an attempt to avoid further discussion. "The sooner I get my treatment, the sooner I'll return to the island. Besides, I need someone to take care of Sozu while I'm here, and I don't think uncle Tenzin is the best man for the job. Meelo, do you know someone who might be interested in that? If he takes good care of him, maybe he'll get the chance to take him for a ride."

"Me! Me! Pick me! I'm the man for the job!" Meelo bounced up and down from his spot on the bed.

"Very well, off you go. Jinora, would you mind keeping an eye out for Meelo to make sure he doesn't get himself eaten? You're obviously the smartest out of the three, I'm sure you can handle him."

Jinora's face went pink at the praise. "I-I'll try." she mumbled as she looked down at the white sheets, adverting the looks that everyone else were giving her.

"And Ikki, do you want to know a secret?"

"Sure!"

Kenai gestured her to lean closer to him and whispered something in her ear so that no one else could hear what they were talking about. Once he finished, Ikki squealed and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"Ok, you all have your chores. You can go visit me some other time with aunt Pema and uncle Tenzin. Just remember what I told you." The three youths nodded in eager and joined their parents at the door. They all gave Kenai one last goodbye before leaving, with Mako, Bolin and Asami doing the same. Asami had to go to the Police Station to give a full declaration of everything that went down in order to avoid getting herself into the 'suspect list'. It was a pain, but it was an understandable pain since she was the daughter of Amon's right hand. Of course, Mako joined his girlfriend and Bolin joined because he had nothing else to do. Everyone left the room... with the exception of one individual. "Korra, you don't have to stay here."

"I am staying." she replied, her tone indicating that there was no room for argument. "When I got myself kidnapped by Tarrlok, you rescued me and stayed with me until I was feeling better. Who's to say I can't do the same with you?"

"That was different. You didn't sleep for five days like me."

"All the more reason why I have to stay with you." Korra gave him a look. "Besides, do you really think you or the doctors can make me leave?"

Well, Kenai couldn't find any arguments that could counter that. It didn't take a genius to figure out what an angry Avatar could do to someone. Without waiting for a reply, Korra grabbed a chair nearby and sat next to her boyfriend. The room was surrounded by an awkward silent, so Kenai decided to do move a little just to see how weary his body was. Wanting to get more comfortable, the airbender grabbed the mattress of his bed for support and slowly inclined his torso forward. The moment his back reached a thirty degrees position, he felt an overwhelming shot of pain around his stomach area that forced him to lie down. Wincing in agony, he lifted his hospital shirt to see the extent of his injury. His eyes widened slightly when he saw what was causing him so much pain. Around his abdominals, there was a giant black bruise shaped like a sphere that went from his belly button to the mid-section of his torso. "You think that one's gonna leave a mark?" Kenai asked Korra as he pulled his shirt down. The Avatar merely frowned at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Do you even care what happened to you?"

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Do you want me to elaborate? Fine, I'll make it simple enough for you!" Korra snapped. "You were on a comma for five days, Kenai! I've been wondering when you were going to wake up. Heck, I was wondering if you were going to wake up at all! Then, by some miracle you wake up and you act like nothing has happened! Do you have any idea how worried everyone was? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Korra, I-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any excuses! You are the biggest, most selfish idiot ever! You could've... You could've d-died back there! Are you even aware of that!? Korra started tearing up. "I-I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you." she sniffled. Using her right hand to wipe out her tears, Korra grabbed Kenai's hand with her left. "Please, don't ever leave me again. I don't think I'll be able to endure this a second time."

Kenai felt his heart ache. Watching Korra feeling that sad was probably more painful to him than the bruise on his stomach. He wanted to get up, hug her a million times over and assure her that everything was fine, that there was nothing to worry about. Seeing how standing up was going to be impossible, he did the only thing he could do at the moment and squeezed Korra's hand as tightly as his weak body allowed him. Korra returned the squeeze with a much firmer grip, almost snapping his fingers.

The two of them stayed like that for what it felt like an eternity. Kenai looked at the white ceiling of his hospital room. He had a million questions for Tenzin regarding his parents. And he would get his answers, but in due time. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to stay right where he was with Korra.

The girl he cared for the most.

The girl he loved.

* * *

I'M BACK, BITCHESSSSS!

Wow, it's been a while since I've uploaded a chapter, hasn't it? I'd like to blame something other than my lack of inspiration and my laziness... but I simply can't.

In other news, I've decided to end the first book next chapter... or the following chapter after the one that is to come next. It all depends on how well it goes with the flow. Hopefully, I'll have it ready sometime around August or September. Also, you might not have noticed this, but I'm correcting every grammar/verb tense mistakes that I've found in my chapters. I've finished chapters 2 to 5, and trust me they are a lot better now. What can I say? I needed a few months of practice.

So, did you like it? Review or PM me if you have any questions

Review, Like and Follow

Peace


	12. REACHING THE BOTTOM

**CHAPTER 12: KENAI**

(I do not own LOK. Nuff' said)

* * *

"Alright, Kenai. According to the test results, you're in condition to leave the hospital this day." Dao said as he went through the documents that were lying on his desk. After three weeks of full-time therapy (requested by Kenai and paid by Republic City's Council), his patient had finally reached the point where he could walk and move on his own.

Kenai proved to be one of the most stubborn patients Dao had ever taken care of. The young man was adamant on leaving the hospital as soon as he could, to the point of sending a letter to Air Island asking to bring the legendary healer Katara to supervise his recovery. At first, he thought the kid was some snotty and spoiled daddy's boy who would throw a fit if he didn't get what he wanted. After all, Katara wasn't some medic who sold her services to the highest bidder. If anything, she was the complete opposite of that.

Imagine Dao's shock when Katara herself arrived four days after receiving the letter. Apparently, Kenai wasn't a snotty and spoiled daddy's boy, he simply knew people in high places.

Anyhow, thanks to Katara's expertise and knowledge in the healing arts, Kenai made a stunningly fast recovery. The damage in his stomach and skull was gone, and there were hardly any scars left. Even the circular marks on his stomach dissapeared, much to Kenai's satisfaction. Katara's aid combined with Doctor Dao's therapy sessions and Korra's encouragement enabled the young airbender to finish his treatment in only three weeks instead of the anticipated three months.

Now, back to the present...

"... Kenai, are you listening? I said I need you to sign these documents before you leave."

Kenai absentmindedly picked up a pen and signed every sheet of paper that Dao gave him, not really paying much attention. The only thing he wanted to do was to get out of the hospital and go to the Air Temple. He wanted to eat the food Pema cooked for him, he wanted to sleep in his own room, he wanted to ride Sozu and feel the wind passing by, he wanted to be with his little cousins, he wanted to hang out with Asami, Bolin and Mako, he wanted to chill out with Korra and spent the day together...

... and he wanted answers from Tenzin. Every time he looked up at the ceiling, he saw his mother smiling tearfully at him and his father waving him goodbye, all the while telling him to ask Tenzin what happened in 'that fateful day'. Those three words were enough to make Kenai yank his own hair in desperation and uncertainty. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. In the end, he decided to occupy himself with his recovery, because he was sure he would go insane if he kept pondering about it.

Dao checked the papers twice to see if there was anything missing. Once he was sure everything was in order, he wrote down his own signature, shook hands with Kenai and left the room so the airbender could change his current patient attire. Kenai found his old clothes carefully packed inside a box. He had to admit he missed wearing his pants and jacket. The hospital attire was all very well and good, but wearing them all day and night became boring after a while. Once he was properly dressed, he stepped outside the room where he slept the last three weeks in turned the lights off.

…

|Outside of Republic City's Hospital|

'I forgot how nice it felt to be outside.' Kenai thought as he took a deep, deep breath once he exited the hospital and started walking downstairs. He would go as far as saying he missed the sound of the Satomobiles' horns, something he would've found rather annoying three weeks ago. Well, that was what staying three weeks in the hospital did to anybody. Right now, the feeling of simply being able to walk without the use of crutches felt great.

However, Kenai felt slightly disappointed when he realized no one, not even Korra or Tenzin, had bothered to go pick him up. Where were they? Kenai was certain Doctor Dao told them he would be released today. It... hurt him a little. Like, seriously? No one came to pick him up? Not Korra? Not Tenzin? Not Pema or any of the airbending kids? Not Mako? Not Bolin? Not Asami? Not Sozu? Not Pabu?

... Not even Lin?

Once he reached the sidewalk, he looked to the right and saw a certain someone sitting on a bench.

It was a girl. HIS girl, to be precise.

Korra was sitting on a bench near the hospital entrance, rubbing her eyes with one hand and covering a yawn with the other. Naga was also with her, though she was sleeping instead of trying to keep herself awake. Korra was wearing her usual Water Tribe outfit, but instead of her sky-blue, sleeveless shirt, she wore her dark blue coat that was made out of leather. It was a chilly afternoon, and Kenai regretted not having his winter coat with him. But he could care less about the cold. The only thing that had his attention right now was the sight of his girlfriend. He slowly walked towards Korra, who was doozing off just like Naga, and raised his voice. "Waiting for someone?"

As soon as the sound of his voice reached Korra's ears, she bolted out of her seat and jumped straight into his arms. Korra placed her arms around Kenai's neck and started kissing him furiously. "Missed-you-so-much!"

Kenai returned the kisses with equal devotion and hugged her as hard as he could, almost fearing that she would disappear should he let her go. Naga started barking and jumping around them, obviously excited to see Kenai back on his feet again. The two teens kept kissing each other until their lips became numb. When they were done, Kenai distanced himself from her a little so he could see her face. She looked just as beautiful as the first time he saw her. "I swear I'm not trying to be mushy or anything, but you have no idea how much I've missed you."

"You wanna make it a competition? Because you're going down for sure." Korra replied before kissing her boyfriend again. Spirits, she missed this. She missed his lips. She missed his strong arms around her waist. She missed that warm energy that seemed to radiate out of his body every time she was near him. She missed his handsome face. She missed... well, everything about him, really.

When the second kiss came to an end, Kenai looked at Korra. "You know, it's great to see you again, but where's everybody? I thought uncle Tenzin would be here to pick me up."

"Oh, Tenzin? Yeah, uuhhh... He had to attend this... Council meeting?"

Kenai raised an eyebrow. "Are you answering me or asking me?"

"... Answering you?"

...

"I-I mean, answering you." Korra stammered out, looking as if she was mentally berating herself. "Yeah, I'm totally answering you. He had this really important Council meeting and he sent me to pick you up instead."

'She's always been bad at lying.' Kenai thought. It wasn't really that hard to tell when Korra was lying. She kept lifting the corner of her mouth and she completely avoided his gaze. Kenai had no idea why would Korra lie about Tenzin attending a Council meeting, but decided not to call her up on that and instead he went for another question. "Alright, what about aunt Pema? What about Asami, Bolin and Mako?"

"Pema had to take care of the kids. As for the guys... Well, Asami is still figuring out a way to clean the name of Sato Industries after being involved with the Equalists, so she's basically drowning herself in paperwork. Mako started to work at Republic City's Headquarters as an officer under Lin's recomendation. Bolin got really sick and he's not supposed to go outside."

"So basically, no one else could come?" Kenai asked. Korra shrugged and gave her boyfriend a 'there's nothing we can do about it' sort of look. Kenai remained expressionless for a minute before a small smile appeared on his face. "It's okay. You're the only one I want to be with right now anyways."

The Avatar beamed at him and pecked his lips. "Took the words right out of my mouth. Still, Tenzin told me to bring you over to the Air Temple. The kids are really excited to see you again. Even Sozu is less of a pain in the rear. Anyways..." Korra paused and mounted Naga, then offered Kenai a hand. "... Shall we go now?"

"Actually, do you mind if we walk instead?" Seeing Korra's puzzled face, Kenai elaborated. "I haven't stretched my legs in a long time. Walking inside the same room for three weeks gets pretty boring. I just... feel like walking right now."

"... Alright, sure." Korra said as she dismounted Naga. She supposed Kenai had a point. And besides, it was his first day outside the hospital and she really didn't felt like arguing. The two of them started walking towards the docks, holding hands and enjoying each other's company. Korra informed Kenai about everything that had happened during his absence. How she managed to activate her Avatar State, how she unlocked her airbending, how Avatar Aang came to her and gave her the power to restore people's bending, how she spent the last three weeks restoring people's bending (with the exception of the Agni Kais, The Triple Threats and the Red Moonson) and how she started her 'real' airbending training. Kenai listened to what she had to say and remained quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet... "Hey Kenai, are you feeling okay?" Korra asked tentatively.

Kenai blinked and faced her. "Of course I'm feeling okay."

But that was a lie and he knew it.

"Are you sure? You look... I don't know, different."

"I'm just tired, that's all."

"If you're not feeling well, we can ride Na-"

"Look Korra, I'm fine." Kenai unwillingly snapped at her, his voice cold and hard as iron. The couple stopped walking and stared at each other, shock written all over Korra's face. Even Naga was looking at Kenai anxiously. It took the airbender a couple of seconds to realize what he just said. "I-I'm sorry, Korra. I didn't mean to yell at you. I... I was just-"

Korra shook her head and recovered herself. "Don't worry about it. But you do realize you just confirmed to me that there's something wrong with you, right?"

The brown-haired boy gulped and looked away, not daring to meet Korra's beautiful eyes. She was completely right. There was something wrong with him, and he knew exactly what it was. He wanted to confront his uncle figure and demand answers out of him. Tenzin was hiding things from him regarding his parents, and after seeing them in the Spirit World, Kenai decided it was time to know what was going on. Where were Bantoh and Kayi right now? Why was he an airbender when he wasn't even born a bender? Why the HELL did his parents had to leave him when he was only eight? Why weren't they answering his letters? When were they going to come back?

Where they even going to come back at all?

"... You're right. There's something bothering me." Kenai said slowly.

"What is it?" Korra asked worriedly. She positively hated seeing Kenai so down. It was completely unlike him.

He gestured her to an old bench nearby and they both sat down. Kenai took a deep breath before starting to talk. "When I was unconscious, I found myself in the Spirit World. I saw Mom and Dad and they talked to me." He felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders as he revealed to Korra part of what had been eating him for days. Ignoring the look of disbelief from Korra, he proceeded. "Mom said..." he chocked a little. "... Mom said it was time for me to learn the truth. She told me to ask Tenzin about 'that fateful day', and then she and Dad just disappeared. It was real, Korra. It wasn't a dream or anything like that."

The Avatar was completely speechless. She could understand now why Kenai was acting so strange. But how was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to say? Kenai was staring down at his knees, as if waiting for her to tell him how crazy he sounded, but Korra was simply looking at him with her mouth slightly open. "Kenai, I-I don't know what to say." she managed to blurt out. It was only after she finished her sentence when she realized how utterly unhelpful her words were, and mentally slapped herself for her inefficiency.

But before she could make things better (or worse), Kenai started talking again. "It's been ten years since I last saw them. Ten years, and the only reason I know they're alive are the letters they send me, or used to at least. I always wrote to them asking why they left and when were they going to come back, and I always received the same lame answers: 'We're very far away right now.', 'We honestly don't know when we'll be getting back at you.', 'Hang in there, kiddo.', 'Mommy loves you very much.', 'We hope we can see you soon.', 'Listen to Tenzin and make sure to behave yourself.', the list goes on and on. And what happened when I asked them about my airbending? They answered me with some bull about spirits and what not." Kenai frowned deeply, and his anger began to flare. "They kept telling me how lucky I was for becoming and airbender and that I should focus on that for now. I was an obedient kid back then, and I kept telling myself that the better I got at controlling my airbending, the sooner my parents would return. I really, really wanted to believe that. Ten years later, they're still absent. And, all of a sudden, I see them in the Spirit World and they just say hello like nothing has happened? Who the hell do they think they are? And why is Tenzin keeping so many secrets from me? Don't I have the right to know about my parents and the reason why they left? Is it really too much to ask?"

"Kenai, please calm down-"

"No! I don't feel like calming down! I've been calm for the last ten years and they still keep me in the dark! Mom and Dad always used to say they would always watch out for me. And guess what? I had to fight a Spirits-damn bloodbender and get myself into a comma just to get them to say hi to me! Is that fair!? I sure as hell hope it's not, because if it is, then I don't even want to think what unfair is!"

Kenai started breathing heavily while his chest became considerably lighter. It felt like dropping a heavy backpack full of rocks, and a part of his frustration faded away. As vicious and wrong as it may have been, shouting at Korra made Kenai feel a lot better. He wasn't angry at her, not in the slightest. After all, she had nothing to do with his issues. The young airbender realized he was being unnecessarily harsh with Korra and buried his face in his hands after letting out a weary sigh.

"I just... I just don't know what to think anymore. Sometimes I feel like uncle Tenzin is lying to me. When I think about Mom and Dad, I can't help but feel like they're avoiding me on purpose. I love uncle Tenzin and aunt Pema... but they can't replace my parents. No one can. And if I don't figure out the truth uncle Tenzin is keeping me away from, I... I don't what I'm gonna do."

Silence surrounded the couple. The usually crowded streets were surprisingly empty, as if fortune had taken pity on them and allowed the couple to have a private talk in the middle of Republic City.

A couple of minutes later, Korra spoke up. "Kenai, I'm not even gonna pretend that I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to live away from your parents, but even with the White Lotus, Mom and Dad still managed to visit me every once in a while to make sure I was doing alright. If you want advice on how to deal with your parents, then you have to ask someone else because I really don't know what to tell you. But I do know this..." she made a pause to make sure Kenai was looking at her. "... When we reach our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change. That's what Avatar Aang told me when you were in that comma. He made me understand that even when everything seems lost, you can still stand up and fight for what you believe... or something like that." she trailed off. What? She wasn't exactly a philosopher. "Anyways, what I'm trying to tell you is that, if you really want to know more about yourself, you have to search for the answers and rely on me and the guys. If I hadn't received help from you, Mako, Bolin, Asami and Lin (Naga growled at that) and yes, you too Naga, I seriously doubt I could've save Republic City. We're here for you, Kenai. I'm here for you, and you can bet I'm not leaving your side."

In all honesty, Korra wasn't really thinking through what she just said. Instead of listening to her brain, she sort of listened to her gut and her heart. Kenai was blinking repeatedly at her, wondering when did Korra became such a softie. Did that last sentence really came out of the hot-blooded and tough girl he met back at the South Pole? What happened to her?

Korra seemed to realize the sheer amount of cheesiness behind her words. Her face went bright pink and she looked away.

"... Okay, either I'm hearing things, or you just went full-fluff mode." Kenai said after a while.

That comment earned him a smack in the arm. "Shut it, smartass." Korra glared at him, but her glare was ineffective as her cheeks were still sporting a small blush.

After taking a deep breath, Kenai looked at Korra and smiled warmly before wrapping his arms around her. Korra was a little taken aback by the gesture, but quickly returned the embrace. "Sorry for shouting at you, Korra. I was being a douche."

"S' okay." came Korra's muffled voice. "You needed to get it out."

"But I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. It wasn't fair."

"Kenai, it's okay, really. I'm not angry at you or anything like that."

"... I never thanked you, did I? I never thanked you for being the awesome girlfriend that you are. I never thanked you for being with me when I needed. Maybe you're not aware of it, but I lo... but you mean so much to me, it's ridiculous. You're strong, beautiful, brave, kind, and you're always willing to protect others without a second thought. I guess what I want to say is thank you... for existing. Thank you for being you. Thanks for coming into my life."

"Kenai..." Korra whispered, feeling her eyes starting to get wet and her insides turning into a gooey puddle. Her heart started beating dangerously fast, almost going overdrive. She opened her mouth, but instead of speaking coherently, words seemed to randomly stumble between one another. "You... I don't..."

"You don't have to say anything, Korra. I just... want to let you know how happy you make me."

Oh, but there were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she thought about him almost every single day, that his gentle touch was more than enough to make her warm inside, that the kisses they shared made her go haywire, that his bright smile could make her forget about all of her problems and that she couldn't really picture her future without him. Her eyes widened like dinner plates when she realized what was happening to her. Kenai stopped being that hot and charming boy she met at the South Pole. Kenai was now a man.

To be more precise, the man she had fallen head over heels in love with.

Neither of them proclaimed their love to one another, at least not verbally. They wanted to, but for some reason, they felt like it was not the best time. All they wanted to do was to be close to each other. For a brief instance, they felt like they were the only ones in the world. And it felt just right...

* * *

|Air Temple|

Kenai and Korra took the ferry to the Air Temple and enjoyed the ride back home in comfortable silence. They were sitting at the back of the boat, with Korra resting her head on Kenai's shoulder. Kenai couldn't help but notice Korra's anxiousness as they approached the island. She was biting her lower lip and tapping her right foot nervously. It was almost like watching a little girl trying her hardest not to tell a secret. The moon had already taken the sun's place by the time they landed on the docks. The couple waved the captain goodbye before making their way to the temple.

"Someone's feeling jumpy today." Kenai commented with a raised eyebrow, noticing how hard Korra was breathing even though she clearly wasn't physically tired. He was even willing to bet that Korra was sweating if her shiny forehead was any indicator. "Seriously though, what's going on? And where are the sentries? Aren't they supposed to be patrolling the island right now?"

"Oh, that's right. The sentries..." Korra trailed off as she tried her best to look casual. "Yeah, Tenzin cut them some slack and gave them the day off. The Elders of the White Lotus were really worried about the whole Equalist-Revolution fiasco these past few days so they ordered the guards to work longer than their usual routine. They were starting to get really tired, and since nothing has happened so far, Tenzin told them they could have a break today."

Kenai pondered about Korra's response. Tenzin rarely allowed the sentries to skip from their duties unless they had good reasons or health problems that kept them from properly doing their jobs. If what Korra said was true, then he supposed it wasn't impossible for Tenzin to let the sentries rest this one night. After all, Amon was gone and so were his followers. In the end, he let out a 'Huh' and kept on walking.

Once they reached the gardens, Kenai was greeted with a sight he didn't really expect.

"SURPRISE!"

Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Mako, Bolin, Asami, the monks and even the sentries were all waiting for him. The temple gardens were decorated with several tables, chairs and enough candles and lamps to lighten up the whole place. "Huh? What's going on?" came Kenai's eloquent question.

"A celebration, that's what's going on. Everybody is here to see you and celebrate that you're finally out of the hospital." Korra said with a bright smile, enjoying the look of disbelief on her boyfriend's face.

"Korra wanted you to have a proper welcome back, so she arranged all of this." Mako explained, smirking ever so slightly.

"Excuse me?" Asami asked in amused disbelief as she started giving cold beverages to the party attendants. "I was one who arranged all of this. Korra wanted to, but she was too afraid to mess things up because she has no idea how to throw a party."

"Hey, I totally know how to throw a party!" the Avatar snapped. "... I just, don't have much experience on the matter."

That was true. Back in the South Pole, Korra's birthdays weren't really that big of a deal. The only good thing about them was that her parents were allowed to visit her and spend some time with their daughter. Some of the White Lotus Elders were kind enough to give her some toys, but it didn't make much of a difference because she had no one to play with, Naga being the exception. The days after her birthday were as ordinary as the days before, nothing but training and training.

Korra shook her head. There was no point on remembering her less-than-thrilling birthay parties. Today was about Kenai and nothing else. Tenzin approached Kenai and had a few words with Kenai, mostly just to know how his recovery was going. Although subtle, Korra could feel how her boyfriend was restraining himself. His smile was a lot more forced and he was clenching his fists every once in a while. She then remembered what Kenai said to her back in Republic City and it all started to make sense.

Kenai wanted answers, that much was obvious. Before arriving to the island, he probably had every intention to confront Tenzin, but because of the party he was forced to wait and act like there was nothing wrong in the world. What was worse, the party was just beginning, so he would have to wait at least a couple of hours before he could talk to Tenzin in private.

Once Tenzin left, Korra approached Kenai. "How are you holding up?"

Kenai shrugged. "Good, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"Look, I know you and Tenzin aren't exactly in the best of terms right now, and I know you want to discuss the whole... you know, the whole seeing your parents in the Spirit World thing, but can you please wait until this is over? They all want you to feel at home and no one knows what you saw except for me. All that I'm asking you is to please wait a little longer before talking to Tenzin."

"Easier said than done." Kenai snorted as he crossed his arms. He himself couldn't understand how he had yet to interrogate Tenzin.

"Of course it's easier said than done. I never said it was going to be a walk on the park." Korra retorted, starting to get slightly impatient. "All I'm asking you is that you don't do anything rash. Please?"

Kenai looked at her in disbelief. She was asking him not to do anything rash? Who was she to ask such a thing? If he wanted to do something rash, he would've done so a long time ago, and not wait until he was back on his feet to ask Tenzin. And Korra really wasn't in a position to tell others to think before they acted. She was the one who got herself abducted by Amon because she couldn't wait, not him. Kenai took a deep breath and tried his best to stay calm before he ended up doing a scene in front of everybody. He knew Korra had a point, but seeing Tenzin talk to other acolytes like there was nothing wrong going on irritated him. With the little patient he had left, Kenai started walking to where Sozu's nest was. "I need some fresh air. I won't be late."

Not wanting to be followed or questioned, Kenai slipped past the attendants and walked away from the party, hoping that his absence wouldn't be noticed right away. By leaving the party, Kenai hoped that Korra got his message: If he couldn't ask Tenzin about what happened to his parents, then he didn't want to see him at all. At a time like this, he believed there was only one individual he could talk to...

'What's the matter, brat? Can't stand your own party?'

"Not really." the airbender responded as he approached Sozu and took a seat near him. "Why weren't you there with the rest of the guys? Aren't you glad I'm finally back?"

'I have better things to do.'

"Like what?"

'Get some sleep, maybe.'

"… Right." Kenai trailed off. "You know, while I was in the hospital, I realized that I've never asked you how are you able to communicate with me. I mean, I know you're different from the rest, but you're still essentially an animal. Why can you 'talk' to me when other birds can't?"

Sozu stared at Kenai in silence. '… Are you serious? We've been together for ten years, and only now you start to wonder why I'm able to communicate with you through our thoughts and feelings? I always knew you were slow, but not this much.'

Kenai glared at the giant bird. "Just answer my question, Sozu. I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes." he demanded.

Even though he didn't show it, Sozu was slightly taken aback by Kenai's attitude. He could feel the frustration starting to boil inside of him. 'Hnh, you have some nerve to talk to me like that, you insolent brat. Nevertheless, I'll answer your question. We Alpha Raven Eagles are descendants of the Spirit World. We're not Spirits per say, but we have a natural connection to our place of origin. Due to our spiritual roots, we've been gifted with the ability to express ourselves and to be fully aware of our surroundings just like you humans.'

"That's really amazing, but it doesn't explain why you and I can communicate through our thoughts."

'I was about to explain that, you dimwit. There's a reason why we understand each other the same way you understand that female of yours, and that's because we've established an emotional bond over time. We use this emotional bond to share our thoughts and communicate with each other. Only a few descendants of the Spirit World such as me can establish an emotional bond of similar nature.'

Unbeknownst to Kenai, there were several other creatures that were able to create emotional bonds with their human partner. Appa, the famous Flying Bison of Avatar Aang, was a perfect example. Flying Bisons were descendants of the Spirit World just like Alpha Raven Eagles, and because of the Avatar's spiritual nature, Aang and Appa were able to emotionally bond with each other almost instantly. This way, Aang could perfectly understand Appa, even though it seemed as if Appa was merely grunting at him.

In other circumstances, Kenai would've been stunned by the revelation. But right now, there was only one thing he was interested in. "Have you ever been to the Spirit World before? Do you know how it looks like?"

'Why the heck should I know, brat? I already told you I'm not a Spirit, I can't go outside of this dimension just like that. And why would I want to go there, anyways?'

"… No reason." Kenai lied. He was hoping that Sozu knew more about the Spirit World, but apparently the Alpha Raven Eagle knew just as much as he did. If his parents were there, then he needed to know how they managed to get there. Once again, his only source of information was Tenzin, but Kenai had no intention to see him right now.

Which meant one thing: It was time to do some research of his own.

'Uncle Tenzin always kept important information inside his office.' Kenai thought with a frown. 'I need to go there and find anything that helps me. I'll come up with an excuse later.'

'Where are you going, brat?' Sozu mentally asked as Kenai stood up and started to leave the nest.

Kenai was tired of lies, and there was no point in lying to Sozu. "I'm going to Uncle Tenzin's office. There's something I have to take care of." That being said, Kenai immediately closed the mental connection between him and Sozu. He didn't want to talk to him, despite being his closest companion. Sozu would definitely start asking question he didn't want to answer. All he wanted now was some privacy. Kenai felt Sozu's irritation through their emotional bond, but luckily he didn't follow the airbender and Kenai supposed Sozu was either too tired or too annoyed to chase him.

He eventually reached the temple, and because all the guards and acolytes were either celebrating or trying to sleep, he had no problem walking his way over to Tenzin's office unnoticed. He opened the door and used an oil lamp to lighten up the room. It was dark, and Kenai had the suspicion the oil lamp wasn't going to last very long, so he made sure to search for anything related to the Spirit World as quickly as possible. Maybe Tenzin or Pema had already noticed his absence, and it was only a matter of time before they sent a couple of sentinels to look after him.

Tenzin's office was full of ancient scrolls and books, most of them regarding the history of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, the culture and traditions of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, reports from the White Lotus, etc. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a single book or scroll that contained even a slight indication of the Spirit World.

Eventually, he noticed something odd about Tenzin's desk. One of the drawers still had the key placed inside the keyhole. Kenai knew for a fact Tenzin never left anything important like keys and similar objects lying around just like that, it was completely unlike him. His curiosity got the better of him, and without missing a beat, he used the key to unlock the drawer.

Strangely enough, only two things were inside the drawer. One of them was a painting of Kenai when he was a kid, along with Bantoh and Kayi, his parents. Why would Tenzin hide a childhood picture of him, Kenai didn't know. The other object that was inside the drawer was a letter, and a very old one by the looks of it. Kenai carefully opened the letter and started reading it.

 _Tenzin_

 _By the time this letter gets to you, me and Kayi will be long gone. The ritual has finished and the people of the tribe will be cured in due time. I don't know if you approve of what we did, and quite frankly, I don't care. You know very well our sacrifice was for the good of those people and for Kenai's future. He's my son, and I refuse to throw his life away. Our sacrifice was worth it._

 _It may be too much of me to ask, but I need you to look after him, and not just because of his newfound airbending that was granted to him by the Spirits. I can't think of anyone else who could become his parent figure. I warn you, Kenai can be a handful when he wants to. He certainly takes after me. You remember when we were his age? Kenai is cheeky and as subtle as bag full of hammers, but hey, he might remind you of me when I'm gone. That can't be too bad, right?_

 _You have no idea how hard it is for me to write this letter. The sickness is spreading all over my body and consciousness. Kayi isn't fairing much better, either. Soon we'll start our journey to that other place, and be assured we'll be watching both you and Kenai when we get there. I never wanted to watch my son grow old from afar, but life's not fair and we both know it. The day will come when he'll start asking questions about me, his mother and his bending, and only you can tell him what happened. He deserves to know the truth… but in due time. He's a kid who has no idea what's going on or what gonna happen next. In the meantime, you have to make him believe there's still hope. The blow will struck him hard, but if he's anything like me, he'll eventually understand that we had to do what we had to do. Maybe he won't forgive us, and I don't blame him._

 _There's nothing left to say. You're the only one I can count on. Remember, one way or another, I'm still with you even though you won't see me anymore. I've never been good at saying goodbyes, but this will have to do. I remember all the things I shared with you, my best friend. Thank you for being there when I needed you. Hopefully you'll join me one day, but you still have a long road ahead of you. Until then, this is farewell._

 _Your friend_

 _Bantoh_

"Kenai, is that you?" Tenzin asked as he suddenly entered the office. He was unaware what Kenai was holding in his hand. "Thank the Spirits you're alright. I was starting to get worried. What are you doing he-"

"What's the meaning of this?" the young airbender said with a shaky voice. His face was visibly paler than usual and his body was trembling. His fists were so tight his knuckles were starting to go white. He threw the letter at Tenzin, otherwise he would end up ripping it apart.

Tenzin's eyes went wide. "What in the… How did you get this?"

"You better answer me right now, Tenzin. I'm not playing around." Kenai barked. "Why did my dad sent this to you? What's he talking about?"

"Kenai, if you could only allow me to explain myself… Please, this is not the time or the-"

But Kenai was already fed up. Something inside his head snapped. For the first time in his life, he did something he never thought he would ever do and menacingly grabbed Tenzin's robes from the collar, forgetting who he was talking to. "ANSWER ME NOW!"

Tenzin didn't respond, either because he didn't know what to say or because he was too shocked by Kenai's action. He simply stared at him with sadness and sorrow, as if words alone couldn't possibly begin to describe the pain of his soul. "You have a right to know what happened ten years ago." he slowly started to say. "Kenai, you are not going to like what I am about to say."

"I don't care anymore. Anything is better than the silence you've been given me all these years."

Both airbenders looked at each other one last time before Tenzin said the last words that Kenai registered.

"… Kenai, your parents are no longer in this world. They passed away ten years ago, days after you first came to this island."

* * *

Well, hello there. It's been a while since I last uploaded this story. But anyways, here's chapter 12. You might be wondering why it took me so long to update. Let me tell you, your guess is as good as mine.

Review, Favorite & Follow if you like.

Peace


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